New Delhi: Bharat Biotech has introduced the prices for its Covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin, while laying out the distribution guidelines to the government and for exports. The prices are applicable for the next phase of the vaccination drive beginning May 1; in this phase all adults are eligible for the jab.

Bharat Biotech’s move, prices of both vaccines currently in use in India — the other one is Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covid shot — are available in public domain. Here’s all you need to know about the vaccine prices.

Bharat Biotech has defended the price tag and said Covaxin was an inactivated and highly purified vaccine — which makes manufacturing expensive due to very low process yields. “All costs towards product development, manufacturing facilities and clinical trials were deployed primarily using internal funding and resources of Bharat Biotech,” the company said in a statement.

From May 1, vaccine-makers can sell 50% of what they produce directly to states and private players, while the rest will have to go to the Centre for the ongoing government-sponsored campaign that will remain limited to those above 45 years, and health care and frontline workers. “We would like to state that more than 50 per cent of our capacities have been reserved for Central Government supplies,” Bharat Biotech said.

Serum Institute of India, which makes Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield in India, fixed the prices at Rs 400 for every dose for state governments and Rs 600 for every dose for private hospitals. It currently charges the central government Rs 150 per dose for the existing supplies.

“Covishield is the most affordable Covid-19 vaccine available in the market today,” SII said. The initial prices were kept very low globally as these were based on advance funding given by those countries for at-risk vaccine manufacturing, it added.