Keeping track with the Central Govt decision of liberalising vaccine sales, Serum Institute of India (SII) is seeking to fix Rs 400 per dose as the price for its Covid-19 vaccine Covishield for all future orders.  The SII on Wednesday announced a price of Rs 400 per dose for its Covid-19 vaccine 'Covishield' for State governments and Rs 600 per dose for private hospitals.

The Serum Institute, the world's largest vaccine maker, also said for the next two months, it will address the issue of limited capacity by scaling up vaccine production. Considering the global vaccine prices, "we are ensuring that our vaccines are affordable in comparison to any other vaccines in the world", claimed Serum Institute.

The American vaccines in the private market cost more than Rs 1,500 per dose, while Russian and Chinese vaccines cost greater than Rs 750 per dose, it added. According to the sources, the government is likely to waive 10 percent customs duty levied on imported vaccines in a bid to keep the cost of overseas vaccines low, which are being eyed to supplement domestically made shots ahead of the opening of Covid-19 vaccination to all citizens over 18 years of age.

Covishield comprises over 90 percent of the 12.76 crore Covid-19 vaccines administered across the country so far.

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