Private vaccination centres can charge up to a maximum of ₹150 as a service charge over and above the cost of the third shot of the Covid-19 vaccine, the government said on Saturday. The third dose of the vaccine, which the government refers to as a precaution dose, will be of the same vaccine administered as the first and the second dose, the Union health secretary said after a meeting with all health secretaries of state and union territories.
No fresh registrations on CoWIN would be required for precaution dose as all due beneficiaries are already registered on the platform.
On Friday, the central government announced that all adult citizens will be able to take their precaution dose from April 10 as long as their second shot was administered at least nine months earlier. The booster dose has already been rolled out free of cost for frontline workers and people aged 60 and above. But others will have to pay for the precaution doses which will be available for them only at private vaccination centres.
“Adding an extra layer of safety! Precaution Dose to be available to 18+ age group from 10th April, 2022, at Private Vaccination Centres. All 18+ who have completed 9 months after administration of 2nd dose, would be eligible for Precaution Dose,” Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted after the announcement.
The expansion comes at a time when countries around the world are rolling out the booster doses for their citizens to thwart any possible threat from new variants. After the announcement, Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawalla said that Covishield’s booster dose for all adults will be priced at ₹600 excluding the taxes. Covovax, which has not received approval as a booster shot, will be priced around ₹900 plus taxes, once approved.
Congress MP Manish Tewari said that the government effectively ignored the rural poor by deciding to open the boosters for all adults only at private vaccination centres. He said that ₹900 for a booster dose is beyond the reach of many individuals, particularly the daily wagers.