Covid Vaccine: India Orders Over 6 Crore Doses From SII, Bharat Biotech

The government has placed orders in advanced commitments for over 6 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccine from Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech for inoculating 3 crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first phase of the vaccination drive.

The vaccination drive is scheduled to start from January 16 and will cost Rs 1,300 crore.

According to sources, the government placed a purchase order with the Serum Institute for 1.1 crore doses of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, Covishield, each costing Rs 210, including the GST.

The government is committed to buying 4.5 crore more by April, sources told news agency PTI. The government has also placed an order to Bharat Biotech for 55 lakh doses of Covaxin, costing Rs 162 crore.

According to the order placed, each dose of Covishield has been priced at Rs 200 and with GST of Rs 10, it would cost Rs 210. The HLL Lifecare Limited, a public sector undertaking, issued the supply order on behalf of the Union Health Ministry.

The first order of 1.1 crore doses will be worth Rs 231 crore, while the total amount, including the commitment for 4.5 crore doses, with the total estimated to reach Rs 1,176 crore at current rates, they said.

The first consignment of Covishield vaccines left the Serum Institute of India in the wee hours on Tuesday ahead of the January 16 nationwide inoculation drive launch.