Private COVID vaccination centres to procure directly from manufacturers starting May 1

From May 1, the present system of private COVID-19 vaccination centers receiving doses from the government and charging up to Rs 250 per dose will cease to exist and they will procure directly from vaccine manufacturers. According to the Liberalised Pricing and Accelerated National COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy, COVID-19 vaccination will continue to be free for eligible population groups comprising health care workers, frontline workers, and population above 45 years of age in government COVID vaccination centers which receive doses from the Government of India.

Vaccine manufacturers would make an advance declaration of the price for 50 percent supply that would be available to state governments in the open market before May 1.

Based on this price, states, private hospitals, industrial establishments may procure vaccine doses from manufacturers.

Private hospitals would have to procure their supplies of COVID-19 vaccine exclusively from the 50 percent supply earmarked for other than the Government of India channel.

The price charged for vaccination by private hospitals would be monitored, it said.

“Consequently the present dispensation where private COVID vaccination centers receive doses from the government and can charge up to Rs.250 per dose will cease to exist,” the Union Health ministry document said.