Covishield To Cost ₹600 For Private Hospitals, ₹400 For States: Serum

Serum Institute of India priced the Covishield vaccine at ₹600 for the private hospitals and ₹400 for state governments a day after the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced that the vaccine manufacturers can decide the vaccine price as it opened COVID-19 immunisation for everybody between 18-45 from May 1.

The government has asked Serum to give 50% of its vaccine production to the Centre to continue its vaccination drive and sell the remaining 50% to states and private hospitals. Serum tweeted that its pricing strategy was lower than what most international COVID-19 vaccines were being sold for.

SII also stated that once their vaccine production is ramped up, the vaccine would be available for open and free trade in four to five months.

Comparing their prices to the American, Chinese, Russian vaccines, Serum said that they were pricing their vaccines for way lesser.

While the Centre is procuring the vaccine for ₹157, the states will have to procure the vaccine at ₹400. BOOM contacted Serum to understand the difference in pricing. Serum replied saying that the Centre will also have to pay ₹400 to procure the vaccine. Adar Poonawalla had stated in January that the first 100 million doses would be available for a lesser price after which SII would increase the cost of the vaccine.

Private hospitals, meanwhile will procure the hospital at ₹600. Citizens between the ages of 18-45 will be paying the price to avail of the vaccine beginning May 1.

(This story has been updated with Serum Institute of India's response)