SII Reduces Covishield Vaccine Price For States By 25%, Vaccine To Now Cost Rs 300

The SII had clarified that its earlier price was based on advance funding and now it needs to invest in scaling up and expanding capacity to be able to produce more shots.

(File Photo/AFP)

New Delhi: Amid the unprecedented surge in Covid-19 cases in the country, the Serum Institute of India (SII) on Wednesday reduced the Covishield price for the states by 25 percent, thereby bringing down the vaccine’s cost to Rs 300 per dose.

“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,” Serum Institute of India CEO and Owner Adar Poonawalla posted on his official Twitter handle.

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The Serum Institute of India, which manufactures AstraZeneca’s vaccine known as Covishield in India at its Pune facility, had earlier this month announced a price of Rs 600 per dose for private hospitals and Rs 400 for the state governments while defending its pricing of Covishield vaccine at 1.5 times the initial rate.

The SII had clarified that its earlier price was based on advance funding and now it needs to invest in scaling up and expanding capacity to be able to produce more shots.

The clarification came after questions were raised on the pricing of its Covid-19 vaccine with separate rates for the central and state government along with private hospitals.