Covaxin to cost Rs 1,200 per dose for private hospitals, Rs 600 for states

Bharat Biotech noted that the manufacturing process was expensive due to low process yields, and that it was important to recover costs to invest in future R&D

Bharat Biotech's Covaxin will be available to state governments at Rs 600 a dose and private hospitals at Rs 1,200 a dose, the Hyderabad-based company said late on Saturday.

 

Serum Institute earlier said that its vaccine would cost Rs 400 per dose for state governments and Rs 600 per dose for private hospitals.

 

Bharat Biotech said that the vaccine not only had an excellent safety profile but it was formulated with adjuvants to improve immune response. Further, once opened, the vial could be kept at 2-8 degrees for 28 days, thus reducing wastage, it claimed.

 

The Phase-III clinical studies have shown that the vaccine has 78 per cent efficacy against Covid 19, and 100 per cent against a severe form of the disease. The company also noted that the manufacturing process was expensive due to low process yields, and that it was important to recover costs to invest in future R&D.