Exorbitant prices being charged by vaccine manufactures
The Covaxin and Covishield are two different types of Covid-19 vaccine and their manufacturing processes are also different. The price of vaccine for procurement by Government of India is negotiated by National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) and its subgroups involving detailed deliberations with the vaccine manufacturers. Under National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, COVID-19 vaccine is available free of cost at Government COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (CVCs) to all eligible beneficiaries irrespective of their socio-economic status.
The vaccine manufacturers are free to fix the price of vaccine for procurement by Private Hospitals which has to be declared in a transparent manner. However, Government of India has fixed a maximum service charge of INR 150 per dose over and above the price of vaccine for vaccine administration at Private COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (CVCs). State Governments have been advised to monitor the price charged at the private hospitals.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharti Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
