Covid-19: Corbevax to cost Rs 990 a dose at private facilities

A nurse holds up a vial of Corbevax at Nair hospital on Wednesday. Pic/Ashish Raje

A dose of Corbevax, which was recently cleared by the Centre for emergency use against coronavirus, will cost Rs 990, including GST and administration charges, at private facilities. Its maker Biological E is supplying it to the Government of India for Rs 145 a shot.

Corbevax is a recombinant protein subunit vaccine and has been given emergency use authorisation for children aged 12-18 years and adults from 18-80 years. The vaccine is injected into the muscles in two doses of 0.5 ml with a gap of 28 days. Each Corbevax vial has 20 doses, said the Hyderabad-based company.

The vaccine, which is stored between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, will be soon available for the private health sector, though it will not be sold in the retail market. Mahima Datla, managing director of Biological E, said, "As the entire country awaits the new phase of immunisation drive for the 12 to 15 years, we at Biological E. Limited are privileged to support the Indian Government in this valiant exercise through our vaccine. It's been a significant development for us to extend our vaccine reach to children aged 12-15 years. Not only will this allow them to resume their daily lives, but it will also lower the parents' concerns as they see their children resuming academic activities in person."

Datla said the antibody produced by the vaccine will last for more than 6 months. "Vaccine immune response was indicative of over 90 per ecnt effectiveness against the Ancestral strain; while >80 per cent in case of the Delta strain based on the level of neutralising antibody titers."

Rs 145
Cost of each Corbevax dose sold to govt