Director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Rochelle WalenskyRochelle Walensky Fauci to spring breakers: ‘Don’t put your guard down completely’ Texas ends mask mandate as leaders urge caution. The first new checks will go out MORE next week said in an interview Thursday that she is concerned that the day the coronavirus vaccine may come at a cost to patients.
“I’m concerned about the day when the vaccine will no longer be free,” Walensky told The 19th as the Biden government continues its vaccination program.
‘What about all those people? And if we need a third booster? What happens then, who is going to pay for it? she asked.
COVID-19 vaccines have been purchased by the federal government with taxpayer dollars and provided for free to get as many vaccinated as possible.
Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, whose vaccine has not yet been approved for use in the US, both have said they will not make a profit on their vaccines and will sell it at the cost of making it.
President Biden
Joe Biden Manchester bolsters the status of key voices in the 50-50 Senate The Memo: How COVID Year Rocked Politics Post-Pandemic Plans For Lawmakers: Chuck E. Cheese, Visiting Friends, Hugging Grandchildren MORE announced on Wednesday that the federal government has purchased an additional 100 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
However, Pfizer, which makes the first vaccine to be used in America, has not committed to selling their vaccines for free.
“We recognize that these are extraordinary times, and our prices will reflect that throughout the duration of the pandemic,” John Young, Pfizer’s chief business officer, told lawmakers over the summer.
The company said in February that they plan to increase prices of their vaccine after the pandemic crisis subsides.
Pfizer currently sells their vaccines for nearly $ 20 per dose, while their normal costs can range from $ 150 to $ 175, according to Chief Financial Officer Frank D’Amelio, Fierce Pharma. reported last monthHe said yes “Gets more appreciated” after the pandemic.
So I think there will be an extraordinary number of questions that will be associated with how this pandemic will be paid, how the future of health care will be paid, how the future of public health care will be paid, because we are a product of not investing in that, ”said Walensky.
There is no indication from the government that the vaccines will soon no longer be available for free to the public.