The company is planning an increase in the commercial cost per dose.
Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont sent a letter to medicine manufacturer Moderna, urging them not to raise the price of their COVID-19 vaccine. The company has not yet settled on an official price for the vaccine’s commercial sale, but Moderna’s Chief Executive Stephane Bancel has proposed a range of $110 to $130 per dose.
“You propose to make the vaccine unaffordable for the residents of this country who made the production of the vaccine possible,” wrote Senator Sanders, who is set to become chairman of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions later this month. “That is not acceptable.”
The senator added that the U.S. government provided $1.7 billion to fund the vaccine’s development, and further paid only $27 per dose after that to fully vaccinate American citizens. The proposed price hike is five times more than that initial price, but the company’s CEO stated that the higher price is more appropriate given the value the vaccines create.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Senator Sanders as he attempts to keep the cost of the vaccine within reason.
- For U.S. officials as they assess costs for taxpayer-funded health measures.
- For the president and his administration as the federal public health emergency has been extended for COVID.
Sources: CNN, Reuters
