Just a day after the Serum Insitute reduced the price of its COVID-19 vaccine —Covishield by a hundred rupees for states, Bharat Biotech followed its footsteps and reduced the price of Covaxin, on 29 April.
In a press statement, the pharma company announced that “recognising the enormous challenge to the public healthcare system”, Covaxin doses would now be available to states for Rs 400 per dose, instead of the previous price of Rs 600.
Last week, as SII and Bharat Biotech had announced prices of their vaccine doses for the state and private hospitals, there has been a lot of criticism over the differential pricing for states, centre, and private hospitals.
While Covishield was offered to states for Rs 400 a dose and Rs 600 per dose to private hospitals, the price for Covaxin was set at Rs 600 per dose to states and Rs 1200 to private hospitals. However, the Centre will be acquiring 50 percent of the supply of this vaccine at Rs 150.
After the mass outrage against SII and Bharat Biotech over their pricing strategy, the Centre on 26 April, had asked both the vaccine makers to lower the prices of their vaccines.
Ahead of Phase 3 of India’s vaccination drive that starts from 1 May, as the Centre opened up online registration of citizens between 18-45 years of age, close to 1.33 crore people signed up for vaccines, even as the country faces a shortage.
Vaccination centres in several states like Maharashtra, Odisha, Goa are expected to remain shut until the states are able to procure sufficient doses.
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