Serum Institute of India has cut the price of the Covishield precaution dose at private hospitals by more than half a day before booster shots become available to all Indian adults, CEO Adar Poonawalla announced.
The price of a single dose has been slashed to Rs 225 from Rs 600 earlier. The decision was taken following discussions with the Centre. Poonawalla also praised the government for opening up the option of a third dose, till now available only to those above 60 and frontline and healthcare workers, to the entire adult population.
India has already administered over 2.4 crore precaution doses to healthcare and frontline workers and those above 60 years.
On Friday, Poonawalla welcomed the Centre’s announcement to open up booster shots and called it a crucial and timely decision. He said people who wished to travel abroad were finding it difficult without a third dose as several countries had placed restrictions on international visitors without a booster dose. Poonawalla was referring to some European Union nations that have made Covid-19 booster doses mandatory for international travellers.
The decision to open up the precautionary dose to the entire adult population follows India’s decision to lift all travel restrictions for foreigners.
“All those who are more than 18 years of age and have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose, would be eligible for precaution dose. This facility would be available in all private vaccination centres,” the Union Health Ministry said in a notification on Friday.
“Ongoing free vaccination programme through government vaccination centres for first and second dose as well as Precaution Dose to Healthcare Workers, Frontline Workers and 60+ population would continue and would be accelerated.”
Following in Serum Institute of India’s footsteps, Bharat Biotech also announced a reduction of the Covaxin precaution dose price to Rs 225 from Rs 1,200, Co-Founder and Joint Managing Director Suchitra Ella said in a tweet.
According to the Union Health Ministry directive to states and Union Territories, all adults who have completed nine months after their second dose would be eligible for the precaution dose. The dose will be of the same vaccine as the one used to administer the first two doses. It has also said private vaccination centres would be able charge up to Rs 150 per dose as service charge above the cost of the vaccine.
India has already administered at least one dose to 96% of eligible beneficiaries in the 15-17 age group, while around 83% have received both doses. Additionally, 45% of beneficiaries in the 12-14 age group have received the first dose.
According to the latest ministry data, India recorded 1,109 fresh Covid-19 cases, taking its total caseload to 43,033,067. Active cases in the country dipped to 11,492, the data, updated at 8 AM, showed. The number of deaths, however, climbed to 521,573 with 43 new fatalities.