KEY STORY
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In a ‘philanthropic gesture’, the Serum Institute of India on Wednesday announced that it would sell its’s COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covishield’ for Rs 300 to state governments.
“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,” SII CEO Adar Poonawalla tweeted.
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.
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) April 28, 2021
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Poonawalla’s announcement comes after the central government reportedly asked the SII and Bharat Biotech to lower the price of their COVID vaccines, Covishield and Covaxin respectively.
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Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is priced at Rs 600 per dose for state governments and Rs 1,200 per dose for private hospitals.
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Following the Centre’s announcement of Phase 3 of Covid-19 vaccination from May 1 which allowed everyone above the age of 18 to be eligible to get the vaccine against coronavirus, the Serum Institute had announced that the price of Covishield will be Rs 400 per dose in government hospitals and Rs 600 in private hospitals.
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The central government has allowed COVID vaccine manufacturers to release up to 50 per cent of their supply to state government and in the open market at a pre-declared price.
CONCLUSION
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“Manufacturers would transparently make an advance declaration of the price for 50 per cent supply that would be available to state governments and in the open market before May 1, 2021. Based on this price, state governments, private hospitals, industrial establishments etc would be able to procure vaccine doses from the manufacturers.
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Private Hospitals would have to procure their supplies of Covid-19 vaccine exclusively from the 50% supply earmarked for other than Govt. of India channel. Private caccination providers shall transparently declare their self-set vaccination price,” the government stated in its release while announcing a ‘Liberalised and Accelerated Phase 3 Strategy of Covid-19 Vaccination from May 1’.
