Can Bahamas Negotiate a Better Vaccine Deal? European Politician Tweets Price List to the Anger of Pfizer.
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As countries around the world clamor for access to vaccines for their population, Belgium’s budget state secretary, Eva De Bleeker, used Twitter to post a price list of the leading vaccines. But she quickly deleted the post before it was screen-shot and shared.
Why it matters
The price of COVID19 vaccines is considered a “commercial secret.” In fact, Pfizer complained that the Belgian minister violated its confidentiality. The company said, “These prices are covered by a confidentiality clause in the contract with the European Commission,” said Elisabeth Schraepen, the US drugmaker’s spokeswoman for the Benelux region to the Belgian daily Le Soir.
Driving the news
The price list shows that Moderna is the most expensive of the leading six vaccinations, while Oxford/AstraZeneca is the least expensive. Other countries can now negotiate a better deal with the pharmaceutical companies since the release of these details.
This is the list of what the EU is paying, that was shared via Twitter:
- Oxford/AstraZeneca: €1.78 (£1.61)= $2.36 ($2.14)
- Johnson & Johnson: $8.50 (£6.30)= $11.28 ($8.36)
- Sanofi/GSK: €7.56 = $10.03
- Pfizer/BioNTech: €12= $15.92
- CureVac: €10=$13.27
- Moderna: $18= $23.88
Worth noting
Nearly three weeks ago, Minister of Health Renward Wells expressed a preference for the Oxford and Moderna vaccines. However, he said if the country is able to access the Pfizer vaccine first, then “we’ll go with that.”
“I think the one through the COVAX facility is about $15 per dose,” Wells said.
