Coronavirus Vaccine Update: Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine may cost around Rs 730 a dose in India

Pfizer is in talks with the Indian government for supplying its coronavirus vaccine.(Representative image)

A single dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine may be priced under $10 (about Rs 730) in India, which could be the lowest price for the mRNA-based jab globally.

"It is a single-digit price per dose. This is a not-for-profit price for the government’s immunisation programme,” Business Standard citing sources as saying. The two-shot vaccine has been made by the American pharma giant and its German partner BioNTech.

If the vaccine comes under $10 in the country, the price would be almost half that of in developed markets like the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, the report said.

The Pfizer COVID vaccine is priced in the US for $19.5 (Rs 1,423) a dose. In the UK, it costs around $21 (Rs 1,532). In the EU, earlier the price was around $18.9 a dose but price negotiations are underway for a higher price of $23.2 (Rs 1,693) a dose, as per the report.

Also read | Pfizer to test COVID-19 vaccine in children below 12 years of age

Pfizer is in talks with the Indian government for supplying its coronavirus vaccine.

“Pfizer has offered to make the required doses of our COVID-19 vaccine available at a not-for-profit price for India, as for all low and lower-middle income countries, once we have the necessary regulatory clearance,” said a Pfizer spokesperson.

Follow our LIVE blog for the latest updates of the novel coronavirus pandemic

“Currently, as our discussions with the government of India are ongoing and confidential, we cannot provide further details,” the spokesperson added.

The Russian COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V is priced in India at Rs 995 a dose (inclusive of all taxes) in the private market. The price for a dose of Covaxin, India's first indigenously developed COVID-19 vaccine, is Rs 1,200 and of Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield Rs 600 for private hospitals. For the Centre, the price Rs 150 a dose at present.

Also read | COVID-19 Vaccine Tracker: 33.7 lakh doses administered in India on June 9

The US pharmaceutical giant is also in discussion with the Central government of India on indemnity. The vaccine maker has been given legal protection by the US.