Precaution Dose at Rs 225: Prices of Covishield, Covaxin Revised for Private Hospitals. Check Details

A day ahead of the beginning of the Covid-19 booster dose inoculation to all those above 18 years of age, the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech on Saturday announced to revise the prices of the Covishield and Covaxin vaccines for private hospitals. Both the vaccine doses will now cost Rs 225.

Welcoming the Centre’s move to allow the precaution dose to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres, Pune-based SII CEO Adar Poonawalla tweeted, “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 Rs.600 to Rs 225 per dose. We once again commend this decision from the Centre to open precautionary dose to all 18+.” Poonawalla had said on Friday that the precaution dose of its Covishield vaccine against Covid-19 will be priced at Rs 600 per shot for eligible individuals.

Meanwhile, Bharat Biotech founder Suchitra Ella also tweeted, “We welcome the decision to make an available precautionary dose for all adults. In consultation with the Central Government, we have decided to revise the price of #COVAXIN from Rs 1200 to Rs 225 per dose, for #privatehospitals.”

Those above the age of 18 who have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose will be eligible for the precaution dose, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday. The final guidelines on the precaution dose for people above 18 will soon be issued. “It has been decided that the precaution dose of Covid vaccines will be made available to the 18-plus population group at private vaccination centres. This facility would be available at all private vaccination centres,” the ministry said.

The ongoing free Covid-19 inoculation programme through government vaccination centres for the first and the second dose to the eligible population as well as the precaution dose to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those above 60 years will be accelerated, the ministry stated. So far, about 96 per cent of all those above the age of 15 years in the country have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, while about 83 per cent have received both doses.

More than 2.4 crore precaution doses have also been administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those aged above 60 years. Besides, 45 per cent of beneficiaries in the 12-14 years age group have also received the first dose, the ministry said. The cumulative number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has exceeded 185.38 crore.

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