Govt places second purchase order for 1 crore doses of Covishield

The Centre on Wednesday placed a second purchase order with the Serum Institute of India for the supply of one crore doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine 'Covishield', each costing Rs 210, including GST, sources said.

The HLL Lifecare Limited, a public sector undertaking, on behalf of the Union health ministry issued the supply order in the name of Prakash Kumar Singh, Director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII), Pune.

The government had on January 11 placed an order for 1.1 crore doses of Covishield at a cost of Rs 231 crore, which has now risen to Rs 441 crore with the second order placed on Wednesday, a source said.

The government had on January 11 also committed to buy from the Serum Institute 4.5 crore doses of the vaccine, in addition to the first order of 1.1 crore doses.

India has approved two COVID-19 vaccines--Covishield manufactured by SII and indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech--for restricted emergency use in the country.