Pfizer plans to begin selling the COVID-19 vaccine it developed with BioNTech for $110 to $130 per dose when the U.S. government stops paying for them, according to Friday reports.
Both NBC and ABC reported the news. This price would be for teen and adult versions of the vaccine, the outlets said. However, Pfizer “expects many people will continue receiving it for free,” according to ABC.
Pfizer executives said the commercial pricing for adult doses could start early next year, according on the outlet. Though it will depend on when the government phases out its program to purchase and deliver doses.
President Joe Biden offered an update on federal vaccination efforts last month. Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services extended a COVID-19 pandemic emergency declaration.
Since vaccines became available in December 2020, the government has offered them free of charge. However, NBC reported that “officials have said that as the nation transitions out of the emergency phase of the pandemic and COVID supplies continue to diminish due to a lapse in funding,” and that the government has already stopped providing free COVID-19 tests.
Pfizer said it expects people with private health insurance or coverage through public programs like Medicare or Medicaid will still be able to get its COVID-19 vaccines, for free, ABC said. On Wednesday, the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee voted to add COVID vaccines to the Vaccines for Children program, which provides free vaccines to children eligible for or covered by Medicaid.
“A spokesman said the company also has an income-based assistance program that helps eligible U.S. residents with no insurance get the shots,” ABC said.
According to the CDC, a little more than 49% of the U.S. population had received their initial series of COVID-19 vaccine and one booster dose as of Wednesday. More than 68% had just completed the initial round and 80% had received at least one dose.
In recent weeks, new versions of the COVID-19 vaccines geared towards the dominant omicron subvariant of the virus have been rolled out.
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