On Wednesday, April 21, Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope said that the state will import vaccines that are available globally, including Pfizer, Moderna and Sputnik, to enable the vaccination of those between 18 and 45 years.
This development comes following a decision by the Centre to open up vaccination for all adults starting May 1.
Also, on Wednesday, April 21, the Serum Institute of India (SII) has fixed the price of Covishield at INR 400 per vial for government hospitals and INR 600 per vial for private hospitals. “The state has decided to use all the vaccines available be it Covishield or the imported ones for the age group of 18-45 years,” Tope added.
“We have also decided to import stock of other vaccines such as Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Sputnik V from other countries. There will be no dearth of the money for the vaccine, as we have decided to use the development funds to procure vaccine stock,” Tope said.
SII also mentioned that in the next 4-5 months, the vaccines will be made available in retail and free trade.
Also Read: Bharat Biotech Chairman Explains the Limitations of Injectable COVID Vaccines; Is It Safe?
Comparing the prices with the other vaccines in the world, SII has stated that while American vaccines are priced at INR 1,500, Russian and Chinese vaccines would cost INR 750 per dose, making Covishield a cheaper option. However, the vaccine price will remain at INR 150 per dose for the Centre.
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