After government missive, Bharat Biotech cuts price of Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin for state governments

The Hyderabad-based vaccine maker was earlier charging Rs 600 per dose for the vaccine

Bharat Biotech, the maker of Covaxin, has announced that it would be supplying the Covid-19 vaccine at Rs 400 per dose to state governments, instead of the earlier quoted price of Rs 600.

The announcement comes a day after the Serum Institute of India has reduced its Covishield price for the states to Rs 300 from Rs 400 per dose. In a tweet, SII's CEO Adar Poonawalla termed it as “a philanthropic gesture.”

A statement issued by the company said "we wish to be transparent in our approach to pricing, which was determined by internally-funded product development, several operationally-intensive BSL-3 manufacturing facilities and clinical trials."

Both the private sector companies have lowered the vaccine prices after the central government, on Monday, asked them to consider providing a rebate in the rates. The Narendra Modi government's missive in turn followed widespread criticism that the companies were allowed to profit hugely at a time of an unprecedented health crisis in the country.

Several states like Delhi, Bengal, Telangana apart from the Congress etc opposition parties also questioned the dual pricing policy, under which the central government would continue to receive each vaccine dose of both companies at Rs 150 only for the inoculation drive covering the 45 years and above age population.

The two vaccines - Covaxin, developed by ICMR-Bharat Biotech and made in India, and Covishield, developed by Oxford University-AstraZeneca and manufactured in India by SII, are part of the ongoing vaccination drive.