Those availing of Covid-19 booster shots from Sunday will not have to pay more than Rs 375 a dose at private centres with government today capping service charge per dose at Rs 150 and vaccine makers cutting costs to Rs 225 a shot.
Ahead of the Sunday roll out of Covid-19 booster drive for all adults across private vaccination centres, Bharat Biotech announced that the new Covaxin price would be Rs 225 a dose.“We welcome the decision to make available precautionary doses for all adults. In consultation with the Central Government, we have decided to revise the price of Covaxin from Rs 1,200 to Rs 225 per dose, for private hospitals,” Suchitra Ella, co-founder, Bharat Biotech tweeted.
CEO of Serum Institute Adar Poonawalla also announced that he was reducing Covishield prices from Rs 600 to Rs 225 a dose.“We are pleased to announce that after discussion with the Central Government, SII has decided to revise the price of COVISHIELD vaccine for private hospitals from Rs 600 to Rs 225 per dose. We once again commend this decision from the Centre to open precautionary doses to all 18+,” Poonawalla said.Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan held a parallel meeting with state counterparts announcing the government’s new policy decision, whereby all adults (18-59 year) who have completed nine months or 273 days after the administration of the second dose will be eligible for paid precautionary doses at private centres from tomorrow.
Booster shots for healthcare and frontline workers and 60 year plus people will continue to be made available free at government centres. Free first and second doses for all adults will also continue to be available in the government system.At the orientation session with states and UTs today, Bhushan conveyed that private Covid-19 vaccination centres can charge only up to a maximum of Rs 150 as service charge for administering a booster dose over and above the cost of the vaccine.It was also clarified that the precaution dose will be of the same vaccine which has been used for administration of 1st & 2nd doses.
No fresh registrations would be required for precaution dose as all due beneficiaries are already registered on the CoWIN system which will soon start sending SMSs to eligible people.“It was emphasized that all vaccinations must mandatorily be recorded on the CoWIN platform and both the options of online appointment and walk-in registration and vaccination will be available at private centres,” the ministry said.Private centres will need to maintain vaccination sites as per the guidelines of the government.“Health workers, frontline workers and citizens aged 60 year or more shall continue to receive precaution dose vaccination at any CVC, including free of charge vaccination at Government vaccination centres,” the ministry said.States/UTs were advised to accelerate the administration of ongoing free COVID-19 vaccination with 1st dose and 2nd dose to 12+ years population and optimal administration of precaution dose for health, frontline and elderly citizens at government centres.
