The Sinovac coronavirus vaccine offered by the Chinese city for an...

A Chinese city is offering Sinovac Biotech’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine to key workers and other high-risk groups for around $ 60 as part of a national program.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the eastern city of Jiaxing said in a statement to WeChat that two doses of the vaccine candidate CoronaVac will cost 200 yuan ($ 29.75) per dose and that vaccinations will begin for key groups, including health professionals . The Chinese authorities have not yet released any pricing information for potential COVID-19 vaccines. Hundreds of thousands of people received experimental vaccines in late-stage studies as part of an emergency vaccination program launched in July.

It was not clear whether Jiaxin City’s prices include subsidies. The city’s CDC declined to comment. Sinovac did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The vaccine is in late-stage studies in Brazil, Indonesia and Turkey. The company has announced that an interim analysis of the data from the Phase 3 study could be carried out as early as November.

Bio Farma, a state-owned company in Indonesia that has signed a contract for at least 40 million doses of Sinovac, said the vaccine will cost around 200,000 rupiah ($ 13.60) per dose this week when it becomes available in the Southeast Asian country . China has stated that while reasonable profits are allowed for businesses, COVID-19 vaccines should be offered close to the cost.

China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) said in August that a vaccine candidate developed by a unit cannot cost more than 1,000 yuan (US $ 148.80) for two shots. However, an official from China’s National Health Commission said the price will be lower.