Coronavirus vaccine to cost $3-4 to govt; $6-8 in pvt mkt: Serum

New Delhi:  Coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford will cost USD 3-4 per shot (Rs 219-292) to the government and will be priced at double that rate in private market ones such sales open up, said the CEO of its Indian manufacturer on Monday.
Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, has a licence to produce the shot and has already manufactured close to 50 million doses.
Its CEO Adar Poonawalla told PTI that the company will start selling the Covishield to the Indian government and GAVI countries in the first stage, followed by the private market.
Indian drug regulator on Sunday approved Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for restricted emergency use in the country.
“We want the vaccine to be affordable and accessible to all. The government of India will receive it at a far more affordable price of USD 3-4, since they will be buying in a larger volume,” he said.
Poonawalla, who had taken a huge gamble once the pandemic began to unfold by overhauling Serum’s assembly line and “sacrificing” products that were to be destined for Europe and America in anticipation of a COVID-19 vaccine, said the priority supplies will go to India and the GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization) nations.