Serum Institute of India’s ‘Covishield’ vaccine will be sold for Rs 200 per dose to the government while it will be available for Rs 1,000 in the private market, Adar Poonawalla, chief executive of Serum Institute of India, was quoted as saying by a TV channel on Sunday.
Poonawalla’s comments come after Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) cleared its Covishield vaccine for emergency approval in India.
Poonawalla also said that Covishield vaccine, developed by Serum Institute of India in partnership with the Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca, is “safe and effective” against coronavirus.
He added that Serum Institute has the capacity to manufacture 5,000 doses of vaccine per minute and already 40 to 50 million doses of the vaccine is ready for dispatch.
Poonawalla further said that it expects to sign a procurement pact with the government this week to ascertain the number of shots that would be needed. He said exports of the vaccine will require government approval and are likely once India feels secure about local supply.
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