Covid vaccine price renegotiated, will cost less than Rs 200 per dose: Govt

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Mar 11, 2021:      The central government on Thursday said it has renegotiated the price of Covid-19 vaccine and the reduced price is significantly lower than the present one.

 

Addressing a press conference, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the government has been able to renegotiate the price of Covishield and it will be "significantly less" than Rs 200 per dose.

So far, the government has allowed private health facilities to charge up to Rs 250 for one dose of the vaccine.

Covishield is one of the two Covid-19 vaccines that have been granted emergency use authorisation in India.

The vaccine was developed by the University of Oxford and drug manufacturer AstraZeneca, and is being manufactured in India by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

Meanwhile, sources in the Union Health Ministry said the price at which the government will procure Covishield has be renegotiated at less than Rs 150 per dose exclusive of taxes.

Earlier, the government was procuring the vaccine at Rs 210 per dose, inclusive of taxes.

On the question of if there is sufficient stock of vaccine in the country, Rajesh Bhushan said, "There is no shortage".

"As on March 11, till 1:00pm, 2,56,90,545 vaccine doses have been administered across the country," Bhushan said, adding that 71 per cent vaccines doses were administered in public health facilities and 28.77 per cent at private facilities.

Courtesy:India Today