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India's Serum institute to sell AstraZeneca vaccine to private hospitals at $8.0 per dose

| Updated: April 25, 2021 20:41:51


Officials unload boxes containing vials of AstraZeneca's COVISHIELD, a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India, outside a vaccination storage centre in Ahmedabad, India, January 12, 2021. REUTERS Officials unload boxes containing vials of AstraZeneca's COVISHIELD, a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine manufactured by Serum Institute of India, outside a vaccination storage centre in Ahmedabad, India, January 12, 2021. REUTERS

The Serum Institute of India said on Wednesday it would sell the AstraZeneca vaccine to the country's state governments at 400 rupees or $5.30 per dose and to private hospitals at 600 rupees or $7.95, reports Reuters.

"Furthermore, owing to the complexity, and urgency of the situation it is challenging to supply it independently to each corporate entity," it said in a statement. "We would urge all corporate and private individuals to access the vaccines through the state facilitated machinery and private health systems."

India has administered more than 112 million doses of the AstraZeneca shot so far, the most in the world, despite concerns about some people overseas developing blood clots after receiving the vaccine.

The Indian government approved a 45.67-billion-rupee ($610 million) grant for COVID-19 vaccine makers Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech to boost production capacity as infections spread at record speed.

SII sought the funds to increase its monthly capacity to more than 100 million doses by the end of May, from up to 70 million currently.

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