Serum Institute’s Covishield precaution dose is priced at Rs 600 per shot

Vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII) on Friday said the precaution dose of its Covishield vaccine against COVID-19 will be priced at Rs 600 per shot for eligible individuals. SII CEO Adar Poonawalla also welcomed the government’s move to allow precaution doses of the vaccine to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres, saying it will further provide long-term protection against the virus, and aid ease of travel.

“End-users will pay Rs 600 for the booster dose and the hospitals will get at a discounted price,” Poonawalla said in a statement. However, SII and Bharat Biotech have been major suppliers of COVID-19 vaccines to the government so far. According to the health ministry, so far, about 96 per cent of all those above the age of 15 years in India have received at least one vaccine dose, while about 83 per cent have received both doses. More than 2.4 crore precaution doses have also been administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers and those aged above 60 years.