Serum Institute of India receives purchase order of Covishield; to cost Rs 200/vial

'Covishield' vaccine will be available at Rs 200 per vial and the vaccination drive will start from January 16.

Serum Institute of India (SII) received a purchase order of 'Covishield' vaccine from the government on Monday. The order of the vaccine developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca includes 11 million doses. " We have received the (purchase) order from the Government of India on Monday afternoon," a SII official said. The vaccine will be available at Rs 200 per vial. The government had announced on Saturday that the vaccination drive will start from January 16.

SII and Bharat Biotech have been granted the permission for restricted use in an emergency situation earlier this month. Priority will be given to the healthcare and frontline workers which numbers to around three crore followed by people above 50 years of age and under with co-morbidities. As per NDTV, Serum chief executive Adar Poonawalla, the vaccine would be priced at about Rs1,000 per dose when it will eventually be available in the private market in India.