Day before ‘precautionary’ doses for all, Covishield, Covaxin prices slashed

A day before ‘precautionary’ Covid vaccine doses are to be made available to everyone over the age of 18, the Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech – makers of Covishield and Covaxin – slashed per dose prices of their vaccines for private hospitals.

Both will now cost ₹225 per dose. Earlier, Covishield used to cost ₹600 per dose and Covaxin ₹1,200 per dose.

“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 ₹600 to ₹225 per dose. We once again commend this decision from the Centre to open precautionary dose to all 18+,” Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla tweeted.

Shortly afterwards Bharat Biotech co-founder Suchitra Ella said the price of Covaxin had been cut to ₹225 per dose as well, from the earlier ₹1,200 per dose for private hospitals.

“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 ₹1200 to ₹225 per dose, for #privatehospitals,” she tweeted.

Earlier today the government said private vaccination centres, including private hospitals, could charge up to a maximum of ₹150 per dose as service charge.

This is over and above the price set by manufacturers SII and Bharat Biotech.

The third dose of the vaccine, which the government calls ‘precaution dose’, will be of the same vaccine administered as the first and the second dose, the union health secretary said after a meeting with state and UT health secretaries.

On Friday, the government said all adult citizens could take a third dose of the vaccine from Sunday, as long as their second was administered at least nine months earlier.

A third dose has already been rolled out free of cost for frontline workers and people aged 60 and above, but others will have to pay for the precaution doses which will be available for them only at private vaccination centres.

India began administering the booster doses to frontline workers, healthcare professionals and senior citizens with comorbidities in January 2022. So far, a total of 2.40 crore precaution doses have been administered, according to the health ministry data.