The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) COVID-19 working group will review the data of the Serum Institute of India’s vaccine Covovax for children and adults later this week, according to senior health experts. India’s drug regulator had approved Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations in adults on December 28.
While more details on the move are awaited, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar, responding to a question by Rajya Sabha member Naranbhai J. Rathwa on price control of COVID vaccines Covaxin and Covishield, said these were two different types of vaccines and that their manufacturing processes were also different.
Submitting her response this week in the Upper House, the Minister said the price of vaccine for procurement by the Government of India was negotiated by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for COVID-19 (NEGVAC) and its subgroups involving detailed deliberations with the vaccine manufacturers. Under the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, the vaccine was available free of cost at government COVID-19 Vaccination Centres (CVCs) to all eligible beneficiaries irrespective of their socio-economic status.
