Private vaccine prices capped at ₹250 a shot

NEW DELHI: Private hospitals vaccinating people against the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) will be allowed to charge up to ₹250 per dose, the Centre said on Saturday, two days before the next leg of India’s vaccination drive, with the Union health ministry detailing the comorbid conditions that will be considered while immunising people.

Members of the general public eligible for the next phase beginning March 1 can walk up to a vaccination centre to be registered for a dose, the Union government has said, while outlining new guidelines and features being included in the CO-WIN platform. The decision will allow anyone above the age of 60 and those older than 45 but with illnesses that make them more vulnerable to Covid-19 to approach government and private hospitals for shots.

Two vaccines that are currently approved for use – Covishield and Covaxin – will be provided by the government to public and private sector hospitals, a health ministry official said on condition of anonymity. The vaccines will be administered for free at the government centres.

“Private hospitals functioning as Covid Vaccination Centres

(CVC) can charge subject to a ceiling of ₹250 per person per dose along with the electronic and financial management mechanism in this regard,” a statement by the Union health ministry said. The states have been asked to provide login credentials to private centres on the updated CO-WIN platform. The CO-WIN platform is a digital platform being used to run the vaccination drive, and anyone