If you’ve been on the fence about getting a COVID booster, it might be time to reconsider.
Moderna will price the vaccine against the coronavirus at about $130 per dose after the federal government ended the pandemic purchase agreement. That brought criticism from consumer advocates and some members of Congress.
In the middle of the pandemic, the government paid between $15 and $26 per dose, to make it available to the public at no cost. As the federal response to the health crisis winds down, Moderna (and other vaccine providers) will move to sell the vaccine commercially.
Pfizer said it is considering similar pricing for the vaccine.
The new prices will take effect in the autumn, when another vaccination campaign can be carried out.
Moderna President Stephen Hoge maintains that those with health insurance will not face out-of-pocket costs with the changes. And those who don’t have coverage (or have insufficient coverage) can participate in Moderna’s funded patient assistance program.
This did not please certain members of Congress, including Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, who both sent letters to the company, asking for more information and asking it to reconsider, stating that it received federal funds to develop a COVID-19 vaccine in the first place. premises.
Officials worry that higher prices will be unaffordable for some and increase costs for government health programs. Moderna which Hoge told At The Wall Street Journal “We feel we’ve appreciated the support we’ve received and then paid it back and then some.”