Some poorer countries are paying more and waiting longer for the company’s vaccine than the wealthy — if they have access at all
A nurse carries out trials of a COVID-19 vaccine at the Desmond Tutu HIV Foundation Youth Center in Masiphumelele, South Africa, Dec. 4, 2020.
Thailand and Colombia are paying a premium. Botswana’s doses are late. Tunisia could not get in touch with Moderna. Even so, the Biden administration has grown increasingly frustrated with Moderna for not making its vaccine more available to poorer countries, two senior administration officials said. The administration has been pressing Moderna executives to increase production at U.S. plants and to license the company’s technology to overseas manufacturers that could make doses for foreign markets.Moderna is now scrambling to defend itself against accusations that it is putting a priority on the rich.
He said that Moderna tried and failed last year to get governments to kick in money to expand the company’s scant production capacity and that the company decides how much to charge based on factors including how many doses are ordered and how wealthy a country is. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health worked with the company to develop the vaccine. The United States kicked in $1.3 billion for clinical trials and other research. And in August 2020, the government agreed to preorder $1.5 billion of the vaccine, guaranteeing that Moderna would have a market for what was an unproven product.
Pfizer, by comparison, said it had agreed to sell its vaccine at discounted prices to 12 upper-middle-income countries, five lower-middle-income governments and one poor country, Rwanda. In some cases, Moderna has offered to provide poorer countries the vaccine at relatively low prices, but only after it has fulfilled other countries’ orders.
Moderna’s market value has nearly tripled this year to more than $120 billion. Two of its founders, as well as an early investor, this month made Forbes magazine’s list of the 400 richest people in the United States.
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Covid-19: Three more Covid-related deaths and 1,115 new casesThe total number of coronavirus-linked deaths in NI since the start of the pandemic is 2,588.
Lire la suite »
Covid-19: NHS Covid passes, and lockdown lifted in SydneyFive things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning.
Lire la suite »
Primero COVID-19, ahora VIH: Científicos de Moderna y San Diego trabajan para crear una vacunaLos investigadores planean utilizar una serie de inyecciones para enseñar al sistema inmunitario a producir respuestas de anticuerpos contra el virus
Lire la suite »
Unvaccinated Black and Latino residents have the highest COVID-19 rates, L.A. County saysBlack and Latino residents who aren't vaccinated have L.A. County's highest rate of COVID-19. Unvaccinated white people have the highest death rates.
Lire la suite »
Covid vaccine: Why these US workers won't get jabbedA teacher, a nurse and an IT worker say why they would rather lose their jobs than get jabbed.
Lire la suite »
Covid-19: Two million booster jabs administered, and patient a 'cat with nine lives'Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Sunday.
Lire la suite »