The Serum Institute of India has signed a contract with the Centre to supply 11 million [1.1 crore] doses of its coronavirus vaccine at a price of Rs 200 each, The Indian Express reported on Monday.
The firm is the local maker of Covishield, the vaccine developed by the Oxford University and pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca. The vaccine was given emergency-use approval earlier this month, along with Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
Cyrus Poonawalla, the chairperson of the Poonawalla group, told the newspaper that the company was expecting a bigger order for vaccines next week.
Poonawalla said that the private sector should also be allowed to simultaneously roll out the vaccine. “Why should the private market and vulnerable groups – mainly elderly people – be deprived till the government starts distributing in their priority areas?” he told The Indian Express. Poonawalla added that the Serum Institute had a stock of 50 million [5 crore] doses for immediate…