Serum Institute reduces Covishield price for states from Rs 400 to Rs 300 per dose

Serum Institute of India's CEO Adar Poonawalla on Wednesday announced that its Covid-19 vaccine candidate Covishield's' price for states have been reduced from ₹400 to ₹300 with immediate effect as a "philanthropic gesture."

Taking to Twitter, Poonawalla said, "As a philanthropic gesture on behalf of @SerumInstIndia, 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."

The Covishiled price for private market remains at ₹600 per dose.

While Bharat Biotech has fixed the price of its Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, at ₹600 per dose for state governments and at ₹1,200 per dose for private hospitals.

Both vaccines are available to the central government at a rate of ₹150 per dose.

The announcement just days before India's expansion of its COVID-19 vaccination drive by allowing its large 18-plus population to get inoculated from May 1.

Covid-19 vaccination open for everyone above 18 years

From 1 May, covid-19 vaccination will be open for everyone above 18 years through booking on the Co-WIN website. The registration process for the third phase of the inoculation drive began today, 28 April from 4 pm.

"Registration for 18 plus to begin on https://cowin.gov.in, Aarogya Setu App & UMANG App at 4 PM on 28th April. Appointments at State Govt centers & Private centers depending on how many vaccination centers are ready on 1st May for Vaccination of 18 plus,: Aarogya Setu informed in a tweet.

Also, from May 1, the types of anti-coronavirus vaccine and their prices will be displayed on the CoWIN portal for citizens to make an informed choice at the time of booking an appointment at a private vaccination centre.

While those aged 18 to 44 years will be eligible to receive vaccination on payment from any of the private COVID vaccination centres (CVCs), citizens below 45 years shall also be eligible to receive a jab from a government CVC in a state or Union Territory which decides to lower the minimum cut off age for eligibility.

As provided in the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy document, all priority groups, such as healthcare workers, frontline workers and citizens above aged 45 years or more (as on 01.01.2022), shall continue to be eligible for vaccination free of cost from government CVCs, or on payment from private CVCS.

Under the third phase of the vaccination drive commencing next month, the vaccine manufacturers would supply 50 per cent of their monthly Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL) released doses to the central government and would be free to supply the remaining 50 per cent doses to state governments and in the open market.

Manufacturers would have to make an advance declaration of the price for 50 per cent supply that would be available to the state governments and in the open market before May 1, 2021, an official statement said.

Based on this price, state governments, private hospitals, industrial establishments, etc would be able to procure vaccine doses from the manufacturers.

Private Hospitals would have to procure their supplies of COVID-19 vaccine exclusively from the 50 per cent supply earmarked for entities other than those coming through the central government channel.

The private vaccination providers would need to transparently declare their self-set vaccination price and the eligibility through this channel would be opened up to all adults, that is everyone above the age of 18, the statement added.

Vaccination will continue as before in the government of India vaccination centres free of cost to the eligible population -- healthcare and frontline workers and all people above 45 years of age.

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