SII lifts up the prices.

Pune based SII(Serum Institute India), on 21st April announced an increase in the Covishield prices.

“The price rose to 400/- for the State governments and 600/- for private hospitals.”

Prior to this, the government declared that manufacturers could directly launch their vaccines in the ‘open market’. Any organization or person wanting to buy vaccine, could easily approach the market and buy it as a normal fashion.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT pic.twitter.com/bTsMs8AKth

— SerumInstituteIndia (@SerumInstIndia) April 21, 2021

The jabs would still be free of cost at government centres. The 600 price would be applicable at private facilities. This is so because from now onwards, such private facilities can directly buy vaccines from the manufacturer. Earlier, the same jabs were available at a price of 250/- at these facilities. It was due to the government supply of the vaccine from the manufacturers.

The SII has made it very clear that vaccine would be available in the open market for buying after the central procurement of the 50% jabs gets completed. This would foster the government vaccination campaign.

Politics over the price hike.

As soon as the SII made the announcement, a sort of outrage has flooded social media platforms with mixed up views of people as well as politicians over the issue. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a jab at price hike and indirectly pointed out at the  BJP-led government at the Centre.

आपदा देश की
अवसर मोदी मित्रों का
अन्याय केंद्र सरकार का!#VaccineDiscrimination pic.twitter.com/oOTC77AmkB

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 21, 2021

Earlier this month, the head of the oldest political party of India was still questioning the government’s decision over the Russian vaccine. The Central government had approved the manufacture of Russian vaccine Sputnik V for vaccinating people along with Covishield and Covaxin.

“First they ignore you
then they laugh at you
then they fight you,
then you win.”#vaccine pic.twitter.com/FvfmTjJ7bl

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) April 14, 2021

A larger portion of senior politicians have condemned such comments. They claimed that in the time of prevailing pandemic, such comments shouldn’t be coming. Also, all these statements are publicised when India is providing vaccines at the cheapest cost and that too two vaccines in stocks and third one in progress!

Where at one end the health ministry is trying to make both ends meet, all should curtail this blame game. All must come forward as one nation to eradicate the pandemic from the society.

PM श्री @narendramodi जी के मार्गदर्शन में टीकाकरण अभियान तेज़ी से चल रहा है। इस अभियान को और मज़बूती देने के लिए सरकार ने कोरोना वैक्सीन #Covaxin का उत्पादन बढ़ाने के लिए बैंगलोर में @BharatBiotech की नई फैसिलिटी के लिए लगभग 65 करोड़ रुपये देने का फ़ैसला किया है।@PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/LeHwMM8Mg9

— Dr Harsh Vardhan (@drharshvardhan) April 23, 2021

You can read about Indian help to various nations in their vaccination at Indian vaccine reaches around the globe.