Precautionary dose; Covishield and Covaxin prices reduced by more than half

NEW DELHI: The prices of Covishield and Covaxin have been slashed by more than a half just a day before precautionary dose vaccination. The Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech have announced that the Covishield and Covaxin will be given to private hospitals for Rs 225.

The price of a dose of Covishield was Rs 600. Covaxin was charged Rs 1,200. Adar Poonawala, CEO of Serum Institute of India, which manufactures Covishield, and Suchitra Ella, co-founder of Bharat Biotech, which manufactures Covaxin, announced the price reduction on Twitter. They said the decision to reduce the price was taken following discussions with the Central government.

On Friday, the government said all adult citizens could take a third dose of the vaccine from Sunday, as long as their second was administered at least nine months earlier. The same vaccine administered as the first and the second dose must be taken as the precautionary dose. Vaccination for 18-59 year olds can only be done through private vaccination centers. A third dose has already been rolled out free of cost for frontline workers and people aged 60 and above, the government announced that this shall continue.