A day after the Union government announced that precaution doses (booster doses) of COVID-19 vaccine will be made available for all aged above 18 from April 10, the vaccine companies Serum Institute of India (SII) manufacturing Covishield and Bharat Biotech manufacturing Covaxin, have revised their prices to Rs 225 per dose. Earlier, Covaxin was available at Rs 1,200 per dose and Covishield at Rs 600 per dose.
SII, on Friday, April 8, had said that the precaution dose of its Covishield vaccine against COVID-19 will be priced at Rs 600 per dose for eligible individuals. However, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and owner of the company Adar Poonawalla, in a tweet on Saturday, said that the price has been revised to Rs 225. “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. We once again commend this decision from the Centre to open precautionary dose to all 18+,” the tweet read.
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. We once again commend this decision from the Centre to open precautionary dose to all 18+.
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) April 9, 2022
Meanwhile, Co-founder and Joint Managing Director (JMD) of Bharat Biotech, Suchitra Ella, also on Saturday announced that the price has been revised to Rs 225 per dose. The tweet stated, “Announcing #CovaxinPricing. 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 #privatehospitals.”
Announcing #CovaxinPricing .
— Suchitra Ella (@SuchitraElla) April 9, 2022
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 #privatehospitals.
The Union Health Ministry, on Friday, announced that those above the age of 18 years who have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose, will be eligible for the precaution dose. According to the health ministry, so far about 96% of all those above the age of 15 years in India have received at least one vaccine dose, while about 83% have received both doses. More than 2.4 crore precaution doses have also been administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those aged above 60 years. Besides, 45% of beneficiaries in the 12-14 years age group have received the first dose, the ministry said.
The ongoing free COVID-19 inoculation programme through government vaccination centres for the first and the second dose to the eligible population as well as the precaution dose to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those above 60 years will be accelerated, the ministry further stated.
(With PTI inputs)