Bharat Biotech reduces price of Covaxin for Indian state governments

Bharat Biotech on Thursday announced that the price of its coronavirus vaccine Covaxin will be reduced by Rs 200 (USD 2.7) for Indian states and will be available at Rs 400 (USD 5.4) per dose.

The announcement by the Indian drugmaker comes a day after the Serum Institute of India (SII) also lowered its Covid-19 vaccine Covishield price to Rs 300 (USD 4.05) per dose for state governments in a move it described as a "philanthropic gesture". 

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Covaxin is the Indian vaccine of Bharat Biotech-ICMR and Covishield is the name of AstraZeneca-Oxford University's drug manufactured in India. 

"Recognising the enormous challenges to the public health care system, we have made Covaxin available to state governments at a price of Rs 400/ dose," Bharat Biotech said in a statement. 

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India is currently struggling with the fresh wave of Covid-19 and is witnessing record cases on a daily basis. 

The country is also facing a shortage of drugs, medical supplies, oxygen and vaccines, but several countries have come forward to solve the crisis. 

Meanwhile, India from May 1 will begin its new phase of vaccination drive in which all people over the age of 18 will be permitted to get inoculation.