Serum Institute Seeks Covovax's Inclusion In Covid Vaccination Drive For 12 Years And Over

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Serum Institute of India has urged the Union government to include Covovax in the National COVID-19 Vaccination programme for inoculating those aged 12 years and above, official sources said on Tuesday, March 15. The Pune-based SII said it wants to provide Covovax to private hospitals at Rs 900 per dose plus GST and is also waiting for directions to supply the vaccine to the Centre but has not mentioned the price.

India's drug regulator had granted restricted emergency use authorisation to Covovax for the 12 to 17 years age group subject to certain conditions on March 9 and for 18 years and above on December 28.

In a letter to Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at SII Prakash Kumar Singh said private companies, educational institutes, social organizations, Central government organizations and Public sector undertakings are making requests for Covovax to inoculate their staffers, families and children, an official source said.

Singh is also learnt to have stated that the Pune-based firm has decided the price of Covovax for supply to private hospitals at the rate of Rs 900 plus GST per dose.

"Also, we are waiting for your kind direction for supplies of our Covovax vaccine to the Government of India," Singh mentioned in his letter.

"Under the visionary leadership of our CEO Adar C Poonawalla, we have developed, manufactured and obtained emergency use authorization from our national regulatory authority for one more world-class COVID-19 vaccine Covovax for 18 years and above on December 28, and for children in the age group of 12 to 17 years on March 9, 2022," an official source quoted Singh as having said in the letter.

He has also requested necessary changes on the CoWin portal for the addition of the Covovax vaccine to inoculate people.

The COVID vaccination for children in the age group of 12 to 14 years will begin from Wednesday. The vaccine to be given to this age group would be Corbevax manufactured by Hyderabad-based Biological E. Limited.