Bharat Biotech on Thursday reduced the price of its COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’ for state governments from Rs 600 to Rs 400, a day after the Serum Institute of India lowered the price of its vaccine.
"Recognising the enormous challenges in the public healthcare system, we have made Covaxin available to state governments at a price of 400/ dose", the vaccine manufacturer said in its announcement.
It said the company is deeply concerned with the critical pandemic circumstances that India is facing at this time.
On Wednesday, the SII—the maker of Covishield, the most used COVID-19 vaccine in the country—had announced a cut in price of the jab it plans to sell to states to Rs 300 per dose from the earlier Rs 400.
This followed widespread criticism of its pricing policy as it has sold the initial doses of Covishield to the central government at Rs 150 per dose. SII CEO Adar Poonawalla termed the price cut as a "philanthropic" gesture.
According to official sources, the central government on Monday had asked both SII and Bharat Biotech to lower the prices of their COVID-19 vaccines amid criticism from various states who accused the companies of profiteering during such a major crisis.
The issue of vaccine pricing was discussed at a meeting chaired by Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba.
Many states had objected to the different prices for the vaccines.
The SII, which manufactures the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at Pune, had on April 21 announced a price of Rs 600 per dose for private hospitals and at Rs 400 for state governments and for any new contract by the central government.
India has announced expansion of its COVID-19 vaccination drive by allowing its large 18-plus population to get inoculated from May 1.
(With PTI inputs)
