Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield, which is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, will cost Rs 200 per dose for the Indian government, SII head Adar Poonawalla told The Associated Press. He added that Covishield will be sold at Rs 1,000 per dose to private buyers.
However, Poonawalla said that the first 100 million doses of the vaccine will be sold to the government at a “special price” of Rs 200 per dose, after which prices would increase.
Serum institute CEO told AP that Covishield was given emergency authorisation by the Indian regulator on Sunday only on the condition that his company does not export the shots so that vulnerable populations in India can be protected on priority.
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He added that SII has also been barred from selling Covishield on the private market. “We can only give (the vaccines) to the government of India at the moment,” Adar Poonawalla said.
Poonawalla took to Twitter on Sunday and wrote, “Happy new year, everyone! All the risks @SerumInstIndia took with stockpiling the vaccine, have finally paid off. COVISHIELD, India’s first COVID-19 vaccine is approved, safe, effective and ready to roll-out in the coming weeks.”
Happy new year, everyone! All the risks @SerumInstIndia took with stockpiling the vaccine, have finally paid off. COVISHIELD, India’s first COVID-19 vaccine is approved, safe, effective and ready to roll-out in the coming weeks. pic.twitter.com/TcKh4bZIKK
— Adar Poonawalla (@adarpoonawalla) January 3, 2021
Meanwhile, the Central government has said that it is planning to start vaccinating people from this month. A dry run of the vaccination drive was carried out in all states and Union Territories across the country for two days.