Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rochelle WalenskyRochelle WalenskyFauci for circuit breakers: ‘Don’t let your guard down completely’ Texas ends mask term as leaders urge caution over money: COVID-19 relief project pending House approval, Biden signature Wednesday | First new checks out next week MORE said in an interview on Thursday that she is concerned about the day when the coronavirus vaccine will cost patients.
“I worry about the day when the vaccine will no longer be free”, Walensky told The 19th as the Biden administration moves forward with its vaccination program.
“What about all those people? What if we need a third backup? What happens then, who will pay for it? ” she asked.
COVID-19 vaccines were purchased with taxpayer dollars by the federal government and distributed free of charge to vaccinate as much as possible.
Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, whose vaccine has not yet been approved for use in the USA, both said they will not make a profit from their vaccines and are selling them at the cost of their production.
President biden
Joe BidenManchin cementes key vote status in the Senate 50-50 The Memorandum: How the year COVID overthrew politics Post-pandemic plans for lawmakers: Chuck E. Cheese, visiting friends, hugging grandchildren MORE announced Wednesday that the federal government purchased an additional 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
However, Pfizer, which makes the first vaccine used in America, has not committed to selling its vaccines for free.
“We recognize that these are extraordinary times and our prices will reflect that during the pandemic period,” Pfizer business director John Young told lawmakers over the summer.
The company said in February that it plans to raise prices for its vaccine after the pandemic crisis has subsided.
Pfizer is selling its vaccines at nearly $ 20 a dose, when its normal cost can range from $ 150 to $ 175, according to chief financial officer Frank D’Amelio, Fierce Pharma reported last month. He said they are “You will get more for the price” after the pandemic.
“So I think there is an extraordinary number of questions associated with how this pandemic will be paid, how the future of health will be paid, how will the future of public health be paid, because we are a product of the fact that we do not invest in it,” said Walensky.
There was no indication from the government that vaccines will cease to be free to the public anytime soon.