The government placed a purchase order with Serum Institute of India (SII) for 11 million doses of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, Covishield, each dose costing Rs 210 including GST, official sources said.

Dispatch of the vaccine is likely to start by late Monday evening, they said.

HLL Lifecare, a public sector undertaking, issued the supply order on behalf of the Union Health Ministry in the name of Prakash Kumar Singh, Additional Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII).

The Covishield vaccine doses would be initially shipped to 60 consignment points. The doses will be distributed further from these centres, informed sources.

Soon, the health ministry is also likely to sign a purchase order for another coronavirus vaccine Covaxin, indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech. Meetings for this was underway, a source said.

India recently granted emergency use authorisation to two vaccines, Covishield being manufactured by Serum Institute in India and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.