DCGI's manufacturing permission to Serum for Covishield vaccine says 'for ≥ 18-year-olds'

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGGI) on Monday granted permission to Serum Institute of India (SII) to manufacture its COVID-19 vaccine 'Covishield'. The approval for manufacture of the vaccine was granted after the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine Covishield for restricted emergency use on Sunday. The Pune-based SII had applied to theD CGI for the emergency use of their vaccine on December 7. The company is manufacturing the vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. Over 50 million doses of Covishield vaccine, worth Rs 2000 crore, have been stockpiled by SII.

Crucially, the document states that the vaccine is for active immunisation of individuals who are 18+ years-old. The second dose should be administered between 4-6 weeks of the first, though it can be administered up to 12 weeks later as well. 

READ | Prashant Bhushan Won't Accept DCGI Nod To Covaxin; Wants PM & Bharat Biotech To Try First

Two different prices for the vaccine

SII CEO Adar Poonawalla, while giving an interview with Associated Press announced the prices of Covishield and disclosed that his company has fixed two different prices for the vaccine. He said that the first 100 million doses of the vaccine were being sold to the Indian government at a “special price” of 200 rupees per dose, after which prices would be higher. The vaccine will be sold on the private market at 1,000 rupees per dose. He said vaccines could be delivered to different states where they were needed within seven to 10 days of the company finalizing a deal with the government.

READ | Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine May Become The First To Get DCGI Nod For Emergency Use

Poonawalla also stated that the Serum Institute is negotiating bilateral agreements with individual countries including Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Morocco, so that at least the most vulnerable in the states of our country or in other parts of other countries are taken care off. 

On Sunday, Poonawalla had expressed his delight about the approval for the vaccine and assured that it 'safe, effective' and had also announced that it will roll out in the ‘coming weeks.’

READ | Serum Institute Of India To Launch Country's First Domestically-produced Pneumonia Vaccine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated the scientists & innovators of Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII)  and hailed the approval of the vaccine as a 'decisive turning point' to strengthen a spirited fight against the coronavirus pandemic and congratulated India getting its first vaccine. 

On Saturday, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had said the vaccines would be given free of cost to priority groups in the first phase.

READ | Key Meet At DCGI On Pfizer, Serum & Covaxin's Vaccines; 64 Diplomats Visit Bharat Biotech

(With agency inputs)