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Business News/ News / India/  Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute reduce Covid booster dose price to 225
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Bharat Biotech, Serum Institute reduce Covid booster dose price to ₹225

While Bharat Biotech has decided to cut the price of its Covid vaccine from ₹1200 to ₹225 per dose, SII announced the reduction of its vaccine price from ₹600 to ₹225 per dose.

According to National Institute of Virology Director Dr Priya Abraham precaution or booster dose of a vaccine boosts immunity in the body further by activating the memory cells to produce more antibodies against Covid. (AFP)Premium
According to National Institute of Virology Director Dr Priya Abraham precaution or booster dose of a vaccine boosts immunity in the body further by activating the memory cells to produce more antibodies against Covid. (AFP)

NEW DELHI : Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII), makers of Covaxin and Covishield, reduced the price of booster shots to 225 per dose, hours after the Union government announced the pricing policy for the ‘precaution doses’. These shots will be available at private Covid vaccination centres Sunday onwards.

While Bharat Biotech has decided to cut the price of its Covid vaccine from 1200 to 225 per dose, SII announced the reduction of its vaccine price from 600 to 225 per dose.

Earlier on Saturday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan chaired a meeting with all health secretaries of states and union territories for an orientation to start with administering precaution dose for the population above 18 years. It was decided to regulate the Covid vaccine prices that will be available at private Covid-19 vaccination centres. It was also decided that private CVCs can charge only up to a maximum of 150 as service charge for vaccination over and above the cost of vaccine.

As of now there are two Covid vaccines—Covishield manufactured by SII, and Covaxin manufactured by Bharat Biotech. These vaccines have received market authorization from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) with the condition that the vaccines are to be supplied for programmatic setting (in hospitals and clinics only). Private CVCs may procure these vaccines directly from manufacturer for giving precaution dose.

On Friday, SII's spokesperson told Mint that from Sunday onwards, people have to pay 600 for Covishield as a booster dose at a private vaccination centre, however, hospitals will get the vaccine at a discounted price.

Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, in a tweet said, “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+."

“Announcing #CovaxinPricing . 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," announced Suchitra Ella CoFounder & JMD Bharat Biotech in a tweet on Saturday.

From 10 January, the Union government started to administer booster dose in a phase wise manner to the eligible population groups such as healthcare workers, frontline workers and elderly population above 60 years of age having co-morbid conditions. The precaution dose will be of same vaccine which has been used for first and second doses. Last month, the health ministry permitted precautionary doses for the entire population above 60 years of age.

According to National Institute of Virology (NIV, Pune) Director, Dr Priya Abraham precaution or booster dose of a vaccine boosts immunity in the body further by activating the memory cells to produce more antibodies against Covid.

Meanwhile, Healthcare Workers (HCWs), Frontline Workers (FLWs) and senior citizen above 60 years of age shall continue to receive precaution dose vaccination at any Covid vaccination centre (CVC), including free of charge vaccination at government vaccination centers.

Under the national Covid-19 vaccination program, India has successfully covered about 96% of the population aged above 15 with at least one dose while 84 % of this population is now fully vaccinated. So far, India has administered more than 185.55 crore vaccine dose to its population.

Over 2.16 crore vaccine doses administered to the children in the age group 12-14 years.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Priyanka Sharma
Priyanka Shamra is a health and pharma journalist with nearly nine years of field reporting experience. She is a special correspondent with Mint. Her beat includes covering the Ministry of Health and Department of Pharmaceuticals. She also covers the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Department of Biotechnology.
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Published: 09 Apr 2022, 05:05 PM IST
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