After initial hiccup, many private hospitals start offering COVID-19 vaccine booster doses; demand rises on day 2

(Representational image)

With both Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech asking private hospitals to start offering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots at the revised rates, promising that the price differential would be compensated through free doses later, healthcare providers have now decided to join the drive.

Their decision to join the expansion of the nationwide vaccination drive against the coronavirus, under which booster doses will also be available to those in the 18-59 age group at private hospitals from April 10, comes following a nudge by the Centre.

The new rates stipulate that both Covaxin by Bharat Biotech and Covishield by Serum Institute of India will now be available to private hospitals at Rs 225 per dose. Earlier the manufacturers were charging the hospitals Rs 1,200 and Rs 600 for the vaccines, respectively.

Meanwhile, a look at the CoWin dashboard run by the government to show COVID-19 vaccination related data showed that on day 1 of booster doses opening for all adults, less than 10,000 shots had been administered. However, this number crossed the 60,000 mark on April 11.

Coverage is also limited at the moment, with 1,471 private sites offering COVID-19 shots, way lower than the 53,000-plus government hospitals where jabs against the coronavirus are being provided.

Companies to compensate loss to private hospitals

Private hospitals in many parts of the country had earlier expressed reservations about offering COVID-19 shots at the revised rates. They wanted a clear message from the government on how the losses incurred offering doses procured at higher rates at lower prices would be compensated.

Also read | National Institute of Virology needs AI and high-performance computing tools; confident of ICMR support: Director Priya Abraham

However, a clarification by SII helped. The Pune-based manufacturer said that “the price differential for holding usable stocks of Covishield shall be compensated in the form of cost-free doses.”

Bharat Biotech, on the other hand, has not issued any written statement yet but sources in the company said that it would follow suit and the message has been conveyed to private hospitals.

The message, it seems, has worked.

“Expansion of precautionary doses will help to boost immunity and reduce hospitalization of patients with co-morbidities,” said Fortis healthcare in a statement on Monday. “We have started providing precautionary doses at all the CVCs in our hospitals across India at the reduced rates immediately based on the announcements made by the vaccine manufacturers.”

Girdhar J Gyani, Director General of the Association of Private Healthcare Providers of India, a network of private hospitals, said the body was satisfied with the announcements and most hospitals had now shown interest in joining the expanded drive.

Reach may be limited

While welcoming the decision to open COVID-19 precaution or booster doses to all adults, some public health experts pointed out that availability only at private hospitals may prove an impediment in wider reach, particularly in rural areas.

Also read | Centre flags rising COVID-19 positivity rate in five states; asks them to monitor clustering of cases

“I think a large number of people in rural areas and small towns may want to skip it if booster doses are not available free of cost though government centres,” said Dr R R Gangakhedkar, former chief epidemiologist with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

"But in my view booster shots are mainly important for people with compromised immunity and several types of chronic diseases.”

The government may review its policy later if the response to the booster doses in a large part of the country is not on expected lines, added Gangakhedkar.