Prices of COVID-19 vaccines – Covishield and Covaxin – were reduced as India starts precaution dose for everyone in the 18+ age-group category.
Vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India has announced a considerable reduction in the price of its Covishield vaccine for private hospitals – from Rs 600 to Rs 225 per dose.
Hyderabad-based vaccine manufacturer Bharat Biotech on April 9 announced that the Covaxin vaccine will now cost Rs 225 per dose at private hospitals, from Rs 1,200 earlier.
The decision to reduce the prices of the vaccines came a day after the government announced that precaution doses of COVID-19 vaccines will be made available to 18+ population group at private vaccination centres from April 10.
The government has also mandated that private COVID-19 vaccination centres can only charge up to Rs 150 as service fee for the precaution dose over and above the cost of the jab, the Union health ministry said in a statement on April 9.
Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said that SII has decided to revise the price of Covishield vaccine for private hospitals after discussions with the central government.
“We are pleased to announce that after discussion with the central government, SII has decided to revise the price of COVISHIELD vaccine for private hospitals from Rs 600 to Rs 225 per dose,” Poonawalla said in a tweet. “We once again commend this decision from the Centre to open precautionary dose to all 18+,” he addded.
Bharat Biotech co-founder Suchitra Ella also echoed similar statement. “We welcome the decision to make available precautionary dose for all adults. In consultation with the central government, we have decided to revise the price of #COVAXIN from Rs 1200 to Rs 225 per dose for private hospitals,” she said in a tweet.
