The Centre today fixed the maximum price that private hospitals can charge for Covid vaccines amid sharp allegations of profiteering.
Under it, the price of Covishield has been fixed at ₹ 780, Covaxin at ₹ 1,410, and Russian vaccine Sputnik V at ₹ 1,145. This includes taxes as well as a 150 rupee service charge for the hospitals.

The Center has asked the states not to allow private hospitals to levy more than ₹ 150 as service charge. The state governments have been asked to monitor the private hospitals regularly and strict action will be taken against any private vaccination center for charging more.

In government-run institutions, vaccines will be provided for free to all eligible persons, Prime Minister Modi said yesterday while announcing the revised vaccine policy in an address to the nation.

The earlier vaccine policy announced in May has been much criticised because of the differential pricing.

Critics pointed out that many countries are inoculating all sections of their population for free, with the government bearing all costs.

Even the Supreme Court had said that asking people between the ages of 18 and 44 to shell out huge amounts for money for vaccines which people above the age of 45 were getting for free, is “prima facie arbitrary and irrational”.

After the Prime Minister’s address to the nation yesterday, Congress’s Rahul Gandhi questioned why people have to pay for vaccination in private hospitals.

Under the hashtag #FreeVaccineForAll, he tweeted, “One simple question- If vaccines are free for all, why should private hospitals charge for them?”

The Congress has been demanding “one nation one price” for long.

Today, its senior leader Jairam Ramesh said: “Our country is the only country where we have said that 25 per cent of the vaccine will be given to the private sector and there you will pay ₹ 800, 1,000, 2,000… it is not in the interest of the country or the people and again we repeat our demand — all Indians should get free vaccination, in government hospitals and private hospitals.”