New Delhi, May 16 (Agency) Makers of Covid-19 vaccine Corbevax slashed its price heavily by more than thrice, the firm said on Monday. The company, Biological E, has reduced the per dose cost of Corbevax from Rs 840 earlier to Rs 250. While the vaccine will be made available to the Private Covid Vaccination Centres at Rs 250, the end-user will have to pay Rs 400 for its single dose, the manufacturer said. The cost includes GST and administration charges levied by private CVCs. Previously, in private CVC, the overall cost of Corbevax to end-users was Rs 990 a dose, including taxes and service charges.
In March this year, when the inoculation of children in the age group of 12-14 years against Covid-19 commenced in the country, Corbevax vaccine was used and its price was fixed at Rs 145 for the government vaccination programme. The decision comes within weeks of Biological E receiving emergency use authorisation for its vaccine for children between 5 and 12 years of age. It is currently being administered to children in the age group of 12-14 years. The manufacturer said the decision was aimed at increasing the affordability and accessibility of the Covid-19 jab. “BE has lowered the price of its vaccine with the aim of making it more affordable and help increase the reach to protect the maximum number of children against the virus,” said a company statement. Biological E has manufactured 30 crore doses of Corbevax and has already supplied nearly 10 crore doses to the Centre. Currently, over 3 crore doses of the vaccine have been administered to children between 12-15 years of age. The indigenously-developed Corbevax is a Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) or protein subunit vaccine against Covid-19 and uses similar technology that has been used for decades to make Hepatitis B vaccines. The vaccine is administered through an intramuscular route with a two-dose scheduled 28 days apart.