Delhi: Confusion on cost may delay booster drive

NEW DELHI: Private health facilities in Delhi said on Saturday that they may not administer the booster shots from Sunday, citing lack of clarity as manufacturers of both Covishield and Covaxin vaccines reduced the prices to ₹225 per dose.

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine earlier cost ₹1,200 per dose in private hospitals, and Pune-based Serum Institute of India was selling its Covishield vaccine at ₹600 per dose.

However, as the nationwide drive to administer booster shots for all adults begins on Sunday, many private hospitals in the capital, which hold existing vaccine stocks procured at higher rates, are now in a quandary over ways to sell the vaccines at old rates before they can procure the new stocks at revised prices.

The booster jabs will not be given at least till Monday, according to a statement by Fortis

Healthcare, which has six vaccination centres in the national capital region. “As of now, we have not received any communication from the authorities or the vaccine makers on the process for receiving and administering precaution doses to 18+ or on the new cost,” the statement said. “The vaccine stock that we are currently holding was purchased at the previously approved government prices. We will resume the vaccinations as soon as we receive clarifications.”

A spokesperson of the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital said it will start rolling out the booster doses from April 11 instead of April 10.

Representatives from Max Healthcare, too, said vaccination at their hospitals, including at the BLK-Max Super Specialty Hospital at Pusa Road, will be kept “on hold till further clarification”.

In a statement later, Bharat Biotech clarified that the price difference with any existing stocks of Covaxin in private hospitals shall be compensated in the form of additional stocks.