SII: Covishield at ₹400 to states, ₹600 to pvt hospitals

At present, only people above the age of 45 are eligible for the vaccines as part of the Centre’s vaccination programme.

Covishield will be available to state governments at the rate of ₹400 per dose and at ₹600 per dose to private hospitals, Serum Institute of India announced on Wednesday, becoming the first company to disclose the pricing under the new, open-market mechanism for coronavirus vaccinations from next month.

The Union government has allowed 50% of the vaccines manufactured in India to be sold separately, which can be used to administer doses to all adults from May 1.

The Union government has allowed 50% of the vaccines manufactured in India to be sold separately, which can be used to administer doses to all adults from May 1. At present, only people above the age of 45 are eligible for the vaccines as part of the Centre’s vaccination programme.

“For the next two months, we will address the limited capacity by scaling up the vaccine production. Going ahead, 50% of our capacities will be served to the Government of India’s vaccination program, and the remaining 50% of the capacity will be for the state governments and private hospitals,” said Serum Institute of India in a statement.

SII locally manufactures the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine AZD1222 under the brand name Covishield. It is one of the two make-in-India vaccines approved for restricted emergency use – the other being Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

In an interview to TV channel CNBC-TV 18, SII CEO Adar Poonawalla said the company will start signing contracts with private hospitals within a couple of weeks, and hopes to fulfil the contracts by the third or fourth week of May.

It is likely that this is when people between the age of 18 and 45 will be able to get the first of the doses in these age groups.

“Serum Institute of India (SII), welcomes the recent announcement made by Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Finance Ministry to accelerate India’s vaccination drive. The promising directives will help to scale- up vaccine production, and allow state governments, private hospitals, and vaccination centers to procure vaccines directly,” the statement further read.

According to the company, it is ensuring that India’s vaccines are affordable in comparison to any other vaccines in the world, considering the global vaccine prices.

Globally, American vaccines in open market currently cost about ₹1500 per dose, Russian and Chinese vaccines cost around ₹750 per dose.

The company also expressed its inability to meet with the demands of individual corporate houses given the supply constraints.

“Furthermore, owing to the complexity, and urgency of the situation it is challenging to supply it independently to each corporate entity. We would urge all corporate and private individuals to access the vaccines through the state facilitated machinery and private health systems. After 4-5 months, the vaccines will be made available in retail and free trade,” the statement read.

SII’s current Covishield production capacity is about 60 million doses a month, and it is looking at ramping it up to more than a 100 million doses a month by July.

Union government officials said on Wednesday that vaccine manufacturers will have to declare rates before May 1. “On the basis of these rates, state hospitals, private hospitals can procure doses. It doesn’t mean vaccines will be available at chemist shops,” said Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan.

The official added that beginning May 1, private hospitals will have to procure their vaccines exclusively through these channels. “They won’t be given separately. Pricing will be monitored,” he said.

Niti Aayog member (health) VK Paul said the country expects more capacity to be added by August. “Discussions are on with other makers. Biological E’s trials are over, after that they will go phase 3. They have major capacity – of over 70 mn a year. We believe by August, it will be available,” he said.