The Serum Institute of India's Covishield vaccine, which got clearance from the drug regulators on Sunday for emergency use will be commercially available at cost of ₹ 1,000 per dose if the government allows sale in the retail, company chief Adar Poonawalla has said.
Mr Ponnawalla said that for the government the vaccine shots are being given at a special price of ₹ 200 for the 1st hundred million doses. Then there will be tendering and then different prices will be available.
"But let me just say -- whatever we give to the government, they are going to provide it free to the people of India and when we subsequently sell it in the private market, the MRP is going to be ₹ 1,000 per shot," he said. The vaccine needs a booster dose, so the total cost will be ₹ 2,000.
Covishield - Covid-19 vaccine which is being manufactured by Serum Institute in collaboration with Oxford University and pharma major AstraZeneca long ahead of the results of clinical trials at a huge risk, now has already produced 50 million doses.
Adar Ponnawalla said, "We are expecting all formalities to be completed in the next 7 to 10 days and a very quick rollout after that and we're hoping to reach 70-80 million doses of actual supply in the next one month - or maybe a month and a half at the most.”
The company said that by March the output could be doubled, but the vaccine's availability in the private market will depend on the Centre’s easing its restrictions.
Mr Ponnawalla in an interview said the firm will work according to the guidance of the government and knowledge because they cannot sell or export the vaccine or give it to the private market.
“These have been our discussions at the movement and I respect that because they want to give it to the vulnerable people," Mr Poonawalla said.
This, he said, also means that "any common citizen today who wants to buy it or get access to it or a corporate who wants to vaccinate their entire workforce to bring them back safely to work can't do so until the government has got enough doses to vaccinate the vulnerable, healthcare workers, the elderly, etc".
The government has made a priority list of people who will be the recipients of the vaccine against the coronavirus which includes frontline warriors the healthcare workers, the police, military personnel, people vulnerable to the virus including the elderly and those who suffer from co-morbidities like diabetes, heart and kidney diseases - are also on the list.
Dry runs for the coronavirus vaccination has already been conducted on 2 January across the nation to get an idea of the glitches in the system.
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While Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Covishield by Serum Institute has been approved by the drug regulator, others are still waiting for their vaccine to get a nod, there are few who are still in stages of clinical trials.
The date of the vaccine rollout is yet to be announced.