Amid allegations of profiteering levelled by the opposition, the Central government has fixed the maximum prices of the Covid19 vaccines that the private hospitals can charge.
The Centre has fixed the price of Covishield at Rs 780, indigenously-built Covaxin at Rs 1,410 and Russian Covid19 vaccine Sputnik V at Rs 1,145 per dose.
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The prices include taxes as well as service charge of Rs 150 for the hospitals.
The states have been asked by the central government not to allow the private hospitals to levy more than Rs 150 as service charge for the vaccines, according to reports.
The state governments have been asked to monitor the private hospitals on regular basis.
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The Centre warned that strict action would be taken against any private vaccination centre for charging more.
Covid19 vaccine Covaxin has been developed by Bharat Biotech International Ltd in Hyderabad in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV).
Covishield has been developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and is manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII) based in Pune.
The Sputnik V vaccine for Covid19 has been developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.
It was registered on August 11, 2020 by the Russian Ministry of Health as Gam-COVID-Vac.
A new vaccine policy was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday.
The policy will be implemented from June 21 which is the International Yoga Day.
The Centre said it will procure 75% of the vaccines produced by companies including the 25% currently assigned to states.
Private hospitals will continue to buy the remaining 25% of the vaccines and vaccinate those people who want to get administered on payment.
In his address to the nation, Prime Minister Modi on Monday announced that vaccines will be provided free of cost to all eligible people in the government-run institutions.
The vaccine policy that was announced by the central government in May has been criticised due to the differential pricing.