SBI report pegs total Covid vaccination cost in India at Rs 3.7 trillion

Poorer states with high population would not be able to vaccinate themselves quickly. Richer states may have to pay a much steeper price given the global oligopolistic market, the report said

A recent report by State Bank of India’s (SBI’s) economic wing has pegged the total vaccination cost across 20 major states in India at Rs 3.7 trillion (Rs 3.7 lakh crore), which it said, is far less than the economic loss arising due to the recent lockdown at Rs 5.5 trillion (Rs 5.5 lakh crore), assuming lockdown for states end mostly by June.

“The vaccine’s reported price, as per the data available with UNICEF, is in the range of $2-$40. If we construct simple scenarios with different price ranges, i.e., at $5, $10, $20, $30 and $40, with the Rupee-dollar exchange