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NEW DELHI: In view of providing Covishield at subsidized rate to the private hospitals with effect from today onwards, Pune based pharma company Serum Institute of India (SII) on Sunday said that the price differential for the current usable stocks of Covishield shall be compensated in the form of cost-free doses. Accordingly, all private hospitals will be informed very soon.
On Saturday, the Serum Institute of India announced the reduction of its vaccine price from Rs600 to Rs225 per dose.
The Central government on Friday permitted much-awaited precaution or booster dose for all adults above 18 years of age from Sunday onwards. Now, people who are fully vaccinated and have completed 9 months after they received their second dose are eligible for a precaution dose.
“The price differential for the holding usable stocks of Covishield shall be compensated in the cost-free doses. Due process will be informed to all private hospitals very soon," said a company statement while announcing market price revision for Covishield.
The pharma company statement said that keeping in line with the government of India’s directive to allow precaution doses to age above 18 years of age at private vaccination centres, all hospitals are requested to provide Covishield at the revised rate.
Serum Institute has adequate doses in stock available to meet the vaccine demands in India, read the statement.
As of now, there are two covid vaccines—Covishield manufactured by Serum Institute of India and while Covaxin is manufactured by Bharat Biotech approved for market authorization from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) with the condition that the vaccines are to be supplied for programmatic setting (in hospitals and clinics only). Private CVCs may procure these vaccines directly from manufacturers for giving the precaution dose.
Presently, only healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people above 60 years of age are eligible beneficiaries to receive the precaution dose. As many as 2,43,14,729 have been administered to the eligible beneficiary so far.
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