SII reduces Covishield prices for states from ₹400 to ₹300 per dose

Pune-based pharmaceutical company Serum Institute of India (SII) reduced the prices of Covishield vaccine for states from ₹400 to ₹300 per dose on Wednesday. The SII CEO in a tweet said that this move will further save the funds of states going forward.

"As a philanthropic gesture on behalf of@SerumInstIndia, I hereby reduce the price to the states from Rs.400 to Rs.300 per dose, effective immediately; this will save thousands of crores of state funds going forward. This will enable more vaccinations and save countless lives," Poonawalla tweeted.

The Serum Institute of India on April 21 announced that the Covishield vaccine will cost private hospitals ₹600 per dose and state governments ₹400, while the Centre clarified it will continue buying vaccines at ₹150 per dose.

The government on April 26 requested the SII and the Bharat Biotech to lower their vaccine prices after the discrimination between the Centre and the state governments drew flak.

Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Punjab among others had raised the issue of the differential pricing and said that it was not the time for profiteering.

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech priced its vaccine Covaxin at ₹600 per dose for state governments and said that private hospitals will be charged ₹1,200 per dose.

Several states and Union Territories all over the country have allocated funds to ensure free vaccination for people over the age of 18. Vaccination for people over 18 will begin from May 1 and registration for beneficiaries began on Wednesday.