Covishield for ₹780, Covaxin at ₹1,410: Centre caps vaccine rates in private hospitals

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Jun 09, 2021:      One day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi capped the service charge of vaccines administered by private hospitals at Rs 150, the Centre on Tuesday fixed the maximum price for Covid vaccines to be given by private players.

 

Under the new circular, the price of Covishield has been fixed at Rs 780, Covaxin at Rs 1,410, and Sputnik V at Rs 1,145.

The Health and finance secretaries met on Tuesday to discuss vaccine cost under the new guidelines and discussed ways to finance the new centralised vaccine policy.

The Centre is also prepared to provide additional funds over and above the Rs 35,000-crore fund provided in the budget.

Government sources said that in the first estimates of the centralised vaccine drive, 188 crore jabs till December 31 may cost the Centre between Rs 45,000 and Rs 50,000 crore.

New vaccine policy

“Today, it has been decided that the Centre will take over the 25 per cent vaccination procurement handed over to states earlier,” said PM Modi.
He added that from June 21, which is also International Yoga Day, the central government will give Covid-19 vaccines to all states. This means that the Centre will procure 75 per cent of all vaccines produced in India and supply them to adults free of cost.

“No state government will have to spend anything on vaccines,” said the Prime Minister.

He also said that those who do not want free vaccines can get them at private hospitals. According to the revised vaccine policy, private hospitals will still be able to buy 25 per cent of all vaccines produced in India directly from the manufacturers.

Apart from the cost of the vaccine, private hospitals will not be allowed to charge more than Rs 150 per dose. State governments will be responsible for monitoring the same.

PM Modi also said that the CoWIN platform is being talked about and several countries have expressed interest in using it for their vaccination drives.

Underlining the government’s efforts to scale up vaccine procurement and improve the pace of vaccinations, the Prime Minister said, "India will defeat corona".

India’s Covid vaccine policy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the government had started working on logistics even as scientists were working on Covid-19 vaccines in 2020. A national vaccine task force was constituted last year, he added.

"The government extended all possible support to vaccine makers; they were helped in clinical trials and funds were given to them for Research and Development (R&D)," said PM Modi.

He added that vaccine supply in India is set to increase. "Seven companies are producing different vaccines and another three vaccines are in the advanced stage of clinical trials. Procurement of vaccines from other countries has also picked up the pace," he said.

Some experts have expressed concerns about children, said the Prime Minister, adding that two trials for Covid-19 vaccines for children are also underway.

"Research is underway on a nasal vaccine. If we get success, it will considerably improve the pace of vaccinations," said PM Modi.

Courtesy: India Today