Vaccine makers expecting a big windfall from COVID-19 booster shots

Vaccine manufacturers like Pfizer and Moderna are already enjoying quite the windfall thanks to their COVID-19 vaccines, but the approval of booster shots means they’re now on track to set some new records.

Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is expected to bring in $33.5 billion this year, which would make it the best-selling drug of all time. The company’s overall revenues are expected to be as much as $80 billion for fiscal 2021 as a result.

It’s pretty clear why the firm decided to encourage American regulators to authorize a “booster” third dose of its vaccine, claiming it will give people better protection against the virus. Naturally, this news was met with significant cynicism by those who bought into President Biden’s constant insistence that getting vaccinated would allow people to live a normal life.

So far, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that thousands of fully vaccinated individuals have contracted the virus, and at least 1,500 of them have died. Wasn’t this vaccine supposed to prevent deaths from the virus? They’re also doubling down on calls to wear masks regardless of vaccination status, leaving those who got vaccinated in hopes of no longer needing masks frustrated.

This week, the Department of Health and Human Services began the push to convince Americans to get a third shot, stating: “The available data make very clear that protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection begins to decrease over time following the initial doses of vaccination. For that reason, we conclude that a booster shot will be needed to maximize vaccine-induced protection and prolong its durability.”

Americans are now being told to get a booster just eight months after their second dose of the vaccine. This is something that Moderna’s and Pfizer’s CEOs had both stated would happen, and their stance was supported, rather predictably, by White House Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Scientists slam push for vaccine booster shots

Some scientists have slammed the Biden administration’s push to distribute the vaccine boosters in the country next month on the grounds that the data supplied by federal health officials simply isn’t convincing enough to warrant the recommendation.

The efficacy of these vaccines may be in doubt, but some believe that the focus should be on getting COVID-19 vaccines to those in poorer countries rather than giving people in the U.S. a third round of shots.

The World Health Organization asked wealthy countries to stop distributing their booster shots until the end of September to give poorer nations the opportunity to provide their populations with a first round of shots.

One big question here is, if the efficacy of the vaccines is diminishing because of the Delta variant, how is getting a booster of the same vaccine that was not tailored to this variant going to help?

Of course, for Pfizer and Moderna, the more burning question here is how much more money they can make. According to a report by Reuters, the two firms expect to rack up $50 billion in vaccine sales this year. Assuming that half of those who were on board the first time around will agree to get a booster and the prices of the jabs don’t change, they can bring in an extra 25 percent of their revenue this year, or $12.5 billion between them.

It’s important to keep in mind that this is money they can take to the bank; the vaccine makers have already been granted immunity from lawsuits related to vaccine damage. Does anyone really wonder why so many Americans are unsure about the vaccine when there is such an exorbitant amount of money at stake?

Sources for this article include:

WesternJournal.com

CNBC.com

Reuters.com