The precaution dose of its Covishield vaccine against Covid-19 will be priced at Rs 600 per shot for eligible individuals, vaccine maker Serum Institute of India (SII) said on Friday.
SII CEO Adar Poonawalla also welcomed the government's move to allow precaution doses of the vaccine to all aged above 18 years at private vaccination centres, saying it will further provide long-term protection against the virus, and aid ease of travel.
"End-users will pay Rs 600 for the booster dose and the hospitals will get at a discounted price," Poonawalla said in a statement. The Union Health Ministry on Friday announced that those above the age of 18 years who have completed nine months after the administration of the second dose will be eligible for the precaution dose.
READ | Ashneer Grover writes to BharatPe board for action against CEO, demands resignation of chairman
Reacting to the government's decision in a tweet, Poonawalla said, "We are delighted by GOI's announcement on the booster. The decision will further provide long-term protection and aid ease of travel."
He, however, said the nine-month gap was a bit long although the company had 200 million dosages in stock. SII has the capacity to produce 4 billion dosages. Poonawalla also exuded confidence that the whole country can be vaccinated in about three months in case of requirement in the future.
READ | BREAKING: Pakistan anti-terrorism court sentences Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed to 31 years in jail
SII and Bharat Biotech have been major suppliers of Covid-19 vaccines to the government so far. Earlier in the day, he had stated that the booster dose should be made available to the public, saying it would help in protecting against the virus in the future besides helping Indians overcome restrictions while travelling abroad.
According to the health ministry, so far, about 96 percent of all those above the age of 15 years in India have received at least one vaccine dose, while about 83 percent have received both doses.
More than 2.4 crore precaution doses have also been administered to healthcare workers, frontline workers, and those aged above 60 years. Besides, 45 percent of beneficiaries in the 12-14 years age group have received the first dose, the ministry said.
