The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) said on 14 January that the government will compare the coronavirus vaccines - Covishield and Covaxin on different parameters for recordkeeping purposes.

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According to the Union Health Ministry, the comparison parameters will include vaccine platform, physical specifications, dosage, cold chain storage requirements, and minor adverse events following the immunisation. "Comparative factsheet for COVID-19 vaccines (Covishield and Covaxin) has been prepared for recordkeeping purposes. Comparison parameters will include vaccine platform, physical specifications, dosage, cold chain storage requirements, and minor adverse events following immunisation," said the MoHFW.

India has given emergency use authorisation to two COVID-19 vaccines Covishield and Covaxin, both being manufactured in the country. While Covishield has been developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, Covaxin is an indigenous vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with ICMR. Around three lakh healthcare workers will be inoculated at 2,934 sites across the country on the first day of the massive nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive which is set to begin from January 16, the health ministry said.