New Delhi: Bharat Biotech on Thursday said that Covaxin will be available to State governments at a price of Rs 400 per dose.
This comes after Covaxin, the indigenous vaccine against COVID-19 will be available for state governments at Rs 600 per dose and private hospitals at Rs 1,200 per dose, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech announced on Saturday(April 24).
“Following the Government of India directives, we announce the prices of COVAXIN vaccines – Rs 600 per dose for state hospitals and Rs 1,200 per dose for private hospitals,” reads a Bharat Biotech release. Covaxin was developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology.
The Serum Institute of India (SII) has reduced the price of its COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ from Rs 400 to Rs 300 per dose for states, announced firm CEO Adar Poonawallah on Wednesday.
“As a philanthropic gesture on behalf of Serum Institute of India, I hereby reduce the price to the states from Rs 400 to Rs 300 per dose, effective immediately; this will save thousands of crores of state funds going forward. This will enable more vaccinations and save countless lives,” Poonawalla tweeted. The SII manufactures the Covishield vaccine, while Bharat Biotech is the manufacturer of Covaxin.
Earlier this month, Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, had asked the government for financial assistance to ramp up vaccine production.
Recently, the Centre announced that everyone above the age of 18 will be eligible to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in the vaccination drive beginning May 1.