In what come as good news to many, the latest news on Covid is that the vaccine could be available for Rs 1000, from as early as in February, 2021.
However, general public and children will have to wait longer as the first round of Covid vaccines will be issued to health workers who are constantly exposed to Covid cases and the elderly, who are most prone to contract Covid.
SII CEO Adar Poonawalla announced the good news. He also added that the general public will have access to the vaccines by April next year. He said the pricing was for two mandatory doses of the vaccine. Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2020, he said that all Indians will get vaccinated by 2024.
He said a variety of factors will impact the distribution of vaccines such as costs, logistics, infrastructure and last but not the least, the openness of people to take the vaccine. So, if 80-90 per cent of people get vaccinated in between, all Indians could be inoculated with two-dose vaccine by 2024, added Poonawalla.
According to a study published in science journal Lancet, vaccines by two US-based companies Pfizer ad Moderna have showed 95 plus success rate in preliminary findings. Similarly, AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine has reported 99 per cent immunity among senior citizens.
Hence, Poonawalla’s statements gain relevance given this background. He said that the Oxford vaccine cost was well thought-out and the pricing was fixed to make it accessible and affordable to large volumes of people. Their primary focus would be India, reiterated Poonawalla.