Reduce price of Covid vaccines, Centre tells Bharat Biotech, SII.
The Centre has asked Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech, manufacturers of Covishield and Covaxin respectively, to reduce prices of Covid vaccines, news agency PTI repored quoting official sources. The move has come days ahead of India's planned drive to inoculate all aged above 18. The vaccination drive is set to begin May 1.
The Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has fixed the price of its COVID-19 vaccine, Covaxin, at Rs 600 per dose for state governments and at Rs 1,200 per dose for private hospitals.
ALSO READ: Covaxin will cost Rs 600 per dose for state hospitals, Rs 1,200 for private ones: Bharat Biotech
The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's largest vaccine maker in terms of volume, has announced a price of Rs 400 per dose for its COVID-19 vaccine, 'Covishield', for state governments and Rs 600 per dose for private hospitals.
Both vaccines are available to the central government at a rate of Rs 150 per dose.
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Many states have objected to different prices of the vaccines, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying this is not time for profiteering.
India has announced expansion of its COVID-19 vaccination drive by allowing its large 18-plus population to get inoculated from May 1.
States demand 'one nation, one price'
Many states have objected to different prices for the vaccines, with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal saying this is not time for profiteering.
Kerjiwal also appealed to the vaccine manufacturers to bring down the price to Rs 150 a dose, saying that they have an entire lifetime to earn profits but this is a time to show humanity. He said the central government should cap the price of vaccines, if needed.
Terming the new anti-COVID vaccine policy "discriminatory and insensitive", the Congress on Sunday accused the government of allowing vaccine makers to profiteer to the tune of Rs 1.11 lakh crore.
Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, "The population below 45 years of age is 101 crore. To vaccinate them, we need 202 crore doses and the cost of these will have to be borne by the states or the individuals themselves. Based on this and assuming that states will provide 50 per cent vaccination and individuals will bear 50 per cent of vaccination cost, the profit of the two vaccine manufacturers -- Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech -- will be Rs 1,11,100 crore."
"The Modi government is guilty of permitting brazen profiteering of vaccination. The Modi government is also guilty of abdicating its responsibility and abandoning the young of India between the age group of 18 and 45 years," he alleged and demanded free vaccination of all Indians.
SII defends vaccine pricing
The Serum Institute of India (SII) has, however, defended pricing Covishield vaccine at 1.5 times the initial rate, saying the earlier price was based on advance funding and now it has to invest in scaling up and expanding capacity to produce more shots.
In a statement on Saturday, the Serum Institute clarified that there was an "inaccurate comparison" done between the global prices of the vaccine with India.
"Covishield is the most affordable COVID-19 vaccine available in the market today," SII said.
