[IAC#RG] Some good news on vaccine front

Friends

Finally, a good news on the vaccine front.

The USA has agreed to sell 38 million vials out of the 62 million vials unused AstraZeneca (ie. COVISHIELD equivalent) vaccines to India which were rejected for use in the USA and are lying there since past 2 months. All these 38 million vials were manufactured in India and contain enough vaccine for 10 doses per vial so about 170 million persons can be vaccinated in the next 2 weeks after the vials begin arriving. It will be especially useful for vaccination by corporations and industries as the nation needs to keep the economy going at all costs.

The prices for each COVISHIELD dose will be US$ 11.83 (i.e. estimated approx Rs. 800 per shot in a State govt hospital and Rs.1,800 in a private hospital for 1 dose). These vials were exported at equivalent US$ 3.75 for each 0.5 ml dose from India by Serum India, Pune.

This is a wonderful achievement brought about by Hon'ble Prime Minister's direct talks with USA President Joseph Biden, as otherwise all the State govt global tenders under revised vaccine policy were being L1'd by Chinese vaccine manufacturers like Sinopharm which are the low efficiency vaccines.

Bikash Bhattacharya

Member Covid Task Force

Laghu Udyog Bharti (WB)