Vaccine Financial Help

[JoMar]

Moderna took $1.B from the Government and Pfizer took $0.0. Wonder what the strings are on that one or is Pfizer just financially better equipped to develop and deliver?

[Stu from NYC]

I believe Pfizer's German partner took money from the German govt.

[Stu from NYC]

I believe Pfizer's German partner took money from the German govt.

I would be surprised if they did not come out well ahead in selling the vaccine

[Papa_lecki]

Moderna is a startup who was doing research on flu vaccinations. When COVID hit, they needed to revamp their research and the entire supply chain. I am sure the pricing the government is paying Moderna vs Pfizer for each dose reflects that.
The government gives BILLIONS in grants all over the world.

Not sure why this is an issue, unless we start commenting on all the grants.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Moderna took $1.B from the Government and Pfizer took $0.0. Wonder what the strings are on that one or is Pfizer just financially better equipped to develop and deliver?

There's more than one government. Since, afterall, there's more than one country. International pharmaceutical corporations (thankfully) don't rely exclusively on the USA for funding. The USA isn't everyone's rich uncle. And at the moment we're more "that rich, greedy, eccentric, not-very-bright third cousin whose mother was dumb enough to marry her own brother."

[njbchbum]

I believe Pfizer took $1.95 billion from the U.S. Operation Warp Speed for production and distribution; though none for vaccine development.

[graciegirl]

There's more than one government. Since, afterall, there's more than one country. International pharmaceutical corporations (thankfully) don't rely exclusively on the USA for funding. The USA isn't everyone's rich uncle. And at the moment we're more "that rich, greedy, eccentric, not-very-bright third cousin whose mother was dumb enough to marry her own brother."

Maybe you think that way but everyone doesn't.

[Stu from NYC]

There's more than one government. Since, afterall, there's more than one country. International pharmaceutical corporations (thankfully) don't rely exclusively on the USA for funding. The USA isn't everyone's rich uncle. And at the moment we're more "that rich, greedy, eccentric, not-very-bright third cousin whose mother was dumb enough to marry her own brother."

We are still the best country in the world even though not perfect.

[njbchbum]

snip The USA isn't everyone's rich uncle. And at the moment we're more "that rich, greedy, eccentric, not-very-bright third cousin whose mother was dumb enough to marry her own brother."

Just your opinion - for what it's worth.

[nick demis]

Moderna took $1.B from the Government and Pfizer took $0.0. Wonder what the strings are on that one or is Pfizer just financially better equipped to develop and deliver?

The stipulation with Moderna was that they only sell to the US until our need is met and than they can sell to the rest of the world. Pfizer is only supplying 25%, and that may decrease, of their vaccines to the US and the rest to the rest of the world.

[UseYourBrain]

There's more than one government. Since, afterall, there's more than one country. International pharmaceutical corporations (thankfully) don't rely exclusively on the USA for funding. The USA isn't everyone's rich uncle. And at the moment we're more "that rich, greedy, eccentric, not-very-bright third cousin whose mother was dumb enough to marry her own brother."

That is true if you believe all the rhetoric on your news channel. They love drama and judgements and using adjectives when not needed because unfortunately people like it. As it so happens we ARE the rich uncle when it comes to pharmaceutical development. We pay for it in our drug prices and everyone else mooches. But if we don’t pay, it won’t get done.

[Burgy]

Moderna is a startup who was doing research on flu vaccinations. When COVID hit, they needed to revamp their research and the entire supply chain. I am sure the pricing the government is paying Moderna vs Pfizer for each dose reflects that.
The government gives BILLIONS in grants all over the world.

Not sure why this is an issue, unless we start commenting on all the grants.
Yes Moderna is very small compared to Pfizer. Those two are the ones that are using messenger RNA[hence Moderna] as the breakthrough process for the vaccine instead of chicken eggs and time. Whatever the financial process both are coming through at unheardof speed. And we should be thankful it's happening.

[JustRita]

Or did Pfizer get liability protection instead

[Villages Kahuna]

Yes of course there would have been “strings” if Pfizer had accepted payment from the government. I believe the term that Pfizer most objected to was an option that would have been created for our government to purchase doses of the vaccine without paying for them in advance. Our government ordered and paid for only 50 million doses.

Pfizer told the administration that they should order at least 300 million more doses. Pfizer explained that they intended to sell the vaccine to other buyers if our government did not place the order. The administration declined. Pfizer then offered the vaccine to other countries, which quickly placed orders snapping up the supply once Pfizer received FDA approval. England, Germany and other European countries as well as Canada were the principal buyers.

When it became apparent that the pandemic was worsening our government attempted to place a large order with Pfizer but were told that they were “sold out” until June or July filing the orders from other countries.

All of the other eight companies, including Moderna accepted investments from the World Health Organization (WHO). A condition of those investments were that the 172 member countries of WHO would get preference in buying vaccine from those companies when their vaccines were approved. Because the Trump administration had withdrawn the U.S. from WHO membership, we had no ability to place orders pre-empting those placed by WHO members.

Moderna, being a somewhat larger company and because orders by more financially capable countries had already been filled by Pfizer, has been able to fill U.S. orders after their vaccine received approval earlier this week. That’s why all the news we’ve seen in the last few days refer to people getting the Moderna vaccine; the Pfizer product won’t be readily available until this summer.

Presumably more vaccine will become available when and if the other seven developers receive FDA approval. But for the next several months the U.S. will be limited to getting vaccine from Moderna, until Pfizer fulfills the orders from Europe and Canada.

[jwonycr]

COVID-19 did an estimated $16 Trillion damage to the U.S. economy. The U.S. government fronted about $10 Billion to get an effective vaccine in under a year. Sounds like a helluva deal to me.

[airstreamingypsy]

Fun fact: Dolly Parton gave Moderna one million dollars for research.

[Dean67]

Pfizer took 1.8 billion on July 22!

[mpalazzola]

Pfizer financed the entire project and owns the intellectual properties. Moderna took money upfront and sold the right to the USA. It's that simple.

[Jensor17]

I REFUSE THEIR UNPROVEN VACCINE. I read that the German or European vaccine is effective in Europe/ the U.K. only. And further saw a nurse in Tennessee facility I believe was on tv camera video’d saying how happy she was she and her nurses got vaccinated — because they work in COVID UNIT. THEN SHE SAID SHE FELT DIZZY TOUCHED HER FOREHEAD. STOOD UP AND COLLAPSED TO THE FLOOR. With doctors rushing to her unconscious form.

[DAVES]

Moderna took $1.B from the Government and Pfizer took $0.0. Wonder what the strings are on that one or is Pfizer just financially better equipped to develop and deliver?

I do not claim to be an expert but things that I've heard from financial news. Both Pfizer and Moderna a corporations you can, perhaps do own stock in them. Pfizer is owned by several countries, China is a major owner, and if I recall France and Germany. Moderna is listed as American owned. As to strings, I'm sure there are some. I surely there are some. As stated, I'm not expert but as I understand it our government to get the vaccines out at record speed has contracted for production even before the drugs are, were approved.

Cost do we know. We hear the government will give to the population for free. Nothing is free. It will be added to your tax bill and or to the growing national debt.

Either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine are two shots. It is unclear if we will need boosters
in the future. Will those boosters also be paid for by the government? When, you will be able to get the vaccine, will you be able to choose which one?

Again I am not an expert. Rumor is that Johnson and Johnson has one that is only one injection.

Risk? We all demand exact answers yes, or no. We do not realize that everything has risk. You go to pick up your mail. If, you choose to walk, you can trip, you can get hit by a car, bit by a dog, hit by a car, hit by a golf cart, a bike. Even run over by a camel I suppose is possible.

[sallybowron]

I did not know that. I just want to know where we can get the Vaccine here in the Villages. I am extremely immunosuppressed and I need it quickly if possible.

[JoMar]

I REFUSE THEIR UNPROVEN VACCINE. I read that the German or European vaccine is effective in Europe/ the U.K. only. And further saw a nurse in Tennessee facility I believe was on tv camera video’d saying how happy she was she and her nurses got vaccinated — because they work in COVID UNIT. THEN SHE SAID SHE FELT DIZZY TOUCHED HER FOREHEAD. STOOD UP AND COLLAPSED TO THE FLOOR. With doctors rushing to her unconscious form.

A perfect example of a half truth and a poster making up the other half.

[New Englander]

Yes Moderna is very small compared to Pfizer. Those two are the ones that are using messenger RNA[hence Moderna] as the breakthrough process for the vaccine instead of chicken eggs and time. Whatever the financial process both are coming through at unheardof speed. And we should be thankful it's happening.

I feel the same!

[Jazzman]

Moderna took $1.B from the Government and Pfizer took $0.0. Wonder what the strings are on that one or is Pfizer just financially better equipped to develop and deliver?

Here’s what happened as reported by multiple news media:

In July, Pfizer got a $1.95 billion deal with the government’s Operation Warp Speed, the multiagency effort to rush a vaccine to market, to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine. The arrangement was an advance-purchase agreement, meaning that the company would not get paid until they deliver the vaccines. Pfizer did not accept federal funding to help develop or manufacture the vaccine, unlike front-runners Moderna and AstraZeneca.

So yes they did not accept any money for development but they did get an advance purchase agreement. They also as reported yesterday entered into another $2billion purchase agreement with the government for the purchase of 100 million more doses to be available before July 2021.

Whether they accepted funding for development was their choice

[Indydealmaker]

Moderna took $1.B from the Government and Pfizer took $0.0. Wonder what the strings are on that one or is Pfizer just financially better equipped to develop and deliver?

Pfizer got $0 from the US GOVERNMENT.

[Byte1]

The U.S. paid $456 million in funds for Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, paid Moderna's almost a billion bucks for their candidate vaccine, $1.2 billion in support for AstraZeneca's candidate vaccine, $1.6 billion in funds to support the large-scale manufacturing of Novavax's vaccine candidate, $1.95 billion in funds to Pfizer for the large-scale manufacturing and nationwide distribution of 100 million doses of their vaccine candidate(july22), approximately $2 billion in funds to support the advanced development, including clinical trials and large scale manufacturing, of Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) investigational adjuvanted vaccine, etc. etc.

The reason we did not PRE-order more vaccine doses is that we did not know who would come up with a viable vaccine candidate so we ordered something like a million doses each from about five or six different pharmas with the option of ordering more. There was no use pre-ordering from one company not knowing if they would have a successful vaccine candidate.
I realize that the idea is to disparage our Gov. for the past four years in an attempt to manipulate politics, but the fact is that this is an amazing accomplishment and we and the world was lucky to have America's leadership to push for results so fast and to cut the red tape that usually slows things down to years instead of months.
Taken from HHS.gov website

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I REFUSE THEIR UNPROVEN VACCINE. I read that the German or European vaccine is effective in Europe/ the U.K. only. And further saw a nurse in Tennessee facility I believe was on tv camera video’d saying how happy she was she and her nurses got vaccinated — because they work in COVID UNIT. THEN SHE SAID SHE FELT DIZZY TOUCHED HER FOREHEAD. STOOD UP AND COLLAPSED TO THE FLOOR. With doctors rushing to her unconscious form.

The exact same thing happened to me a month ago...

when I got a cortisone shot in my hip.

It's called a vagal nerve response and happens to random people following an injection (usually a vaccine, but really any injection can trigger it).

It had never happened to me before, was completely unexpected, and I recovered within a few minutes after sitting back on the exam office reclining chair, having a dixie cup of water, and the doctor setting a cool wet cloth on my forehead.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I used to feel that way but have recently seen way too many things "Unamerican" to make me comfortable any longer.

Be optimistic. Things CAN get better. And they will. Also what is "American" and "UnAmerican" have changed over the decades. Remember it used to be American to lynch black people who smiled at a white man's wife, or looked a white man in the eye. That used to be an American and totally acceptable thing to do.

We've evolved since then. We've DEvolved a bit over time, but we do keep progressing forward.

This mess with the virus is one example of devolution. If we had remained members of WHO, we might have had more vaccines available to us from the get-go. If we had paid attention to the trends of science rather than the trends of fear and hatred, our country might have been better off than it is now. How much better? Who knows. We won't know, because we were not giving the opportunity to know. The people responsible for making those decisions chose to not do what science suggested, once science determined there were actual steps to take. Until then, they could only say "this doesn't seem to be needed" or "that doesn't seem to be a problem." When they finally realized it was a problem, and something needed to be done, the people responsible for decision-making chose to believe all the people who said "BUT YOU SAID YESTERDAY...therefore you don't know anything!"

And here we are now, arguing over who gets first dibs on the vaccine.

[jimjamuser]

The U.S. paid $456 million in funds for Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, paid Moderna's almost a billion bucks for their candidate vaccine, $1.2 billion in support for AstraZeneca's candidate vaccine, $1.6 billion in funds to support the large-scale manufacturing of Novavax's vaccine candidate, $1.95 billion in funds to Pfizer for the large-scale manufacturing and nationwide distribution of 100 million doses of their vaccine candidate(july22), approximately $2 billion in funds to support the advanced development, including clinical trials and large scale manufacturing, of Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) investigational adjuvanted vaccine, etc. etc.

The reason we did not PRE-order more vaccine doses is that we did not know who would come up with a viable vaccine candidate so we ordered something like a million doses each from about five or six different pharmas with the option of ordering more. There was no use pre-ordering from one company not knowing if they would have a successful vaccine candidate.
I realize that the idea is to disparage our Gov. for the past four years in an attempt to manipulate politics, but the fact is that this is an amazing accomplishment and we and the world was lucky to have America's leadership to push for results so fast and to cut the red tape that usually slows things down to years instead of months.
Taken from HHS.gov website
The so-called Pfizer vaccine is REALLY a small GERMAN company's vaccine because they were the BRAINS behind it, the developers of it. - Pfizer is just the middle man between their small company and large Governments. Incidentally, the German Company's vaccine was developed and owned by a MUSLIM couple from Turkey ( the wife is Black). So, it was much MORE of an international vaccine than an American development. So much for misplaced patriotism?

[jimjamuser]

Be optimistic. Things CAN get better. And they will. Also what is "American" and "UnAmerican" have changed over the decades. Remember it used to be American to lynch black people who smiled at a white man's wife, or looked a white man in the eye. That used to be an American and totally acceptable thing to do.

We've evolved since then. We've DEvolved a bit over time, but we do keep progressing forward.

This mess with the virus is one example of devolution. If we had remained members of WHO, we might have had more vaccines available to us from the get-go. If we had paid attention to the trends of science rather than the trends of fear and hatred, our country might have been better off than it is now. How much better? Who knows. We won't know, because we were not giving the opportunity to know. The people responsible for making those decisions chose to not do what science suggested, once science determined there were actual steps to take. Until then, they could only say "this doesn't seem to be needed" or "that doesn't seem to be a problem." When they finally realized it was a problem, and something needed to be done, the people responsible for decision-making chose to believe all the people who said "BUT YOU SAID YESTERDAY...therefore you don't know anything!"

And here we are now, arguing over who gets first dibs on the vaccine.
Great post with respect to devolution away from science. (the rock group "DEVO" warned us about this in the1970s). Incidentally, I notice that ssssoooo many posters here are exuberant about getting the vaccine. I also endorse the vaccines. But, here is one fact that may not be known to many. Recent medical / Science experts have predicted that by next April around 25,000 lives will be SAVED by the vaccines. HOWEVER, 56,000 additional lives would be SAVED by merely increased, conscientious use of MASKS FROM NOW UNTIL April!!!! - 56,000 lives - double the lives saved by the vaccines. Google it. Food for thought!

MLK said that there may be setbacks, but overall the arc of history is upward toward justice !

[kenoc7]

The so-called Pfizer vaccine is REALLY a small GERMAN company's vaccine because they were the BRAINS behind it, the developers of it. - Pfizer is just the middle man between their small company and large Governments. Incidentally, the German Company's vaccine was developed and owned by a MUSLIM couple from Turkey ( the wife is Black). So, it was much MORE of an international vaccine than an American development. So much for misplaced patriotism?
And the original science on which it is base was done by a female scientist in Canada.

[KRM0614]

Moderna took $1.B from the Government and Pfizer took $0.0. Wonder what the strings are on that one or is Pfizer just financially better equipped to develop and deliver?
That’s not true ! Both companies received contractors and aid amount you won’t know for years

[dtennent]

When I look how long it takes for a typical vaccine to be developed, tested, approved, and brought to market (Usually on the order of 10 years); what we are currently witnessing with 2 companies providing a vaccine to the world in less than 1 year is nothing less than amazing. I realize that many companies/countries were working on this and that the the vaccines have received emergency approval. I think the priming of the financial pump by different countries to push the vaccine development forward, the coordination of the distribution of the vaccines, and the overall relative transparency of the entire process is something that everyone can be proud to see. Let's not take away from this moment by worrying about who paid for what (and when it was paid), or trying to second guess decisions that now lay in the past.

Here is a cheer to the scientists, doctors, nurses and everyone else involved to make this happen!

[coffeebean]

Maybe she is hoping that IQs turn back upward. And that the DPA is quickly enacted that will allow testing, testing, testing, and supply Pfizer and Moderna enough base material to produce the numbers of the vaccines that they have PROMISED. And let us hope that the J and J vaccine which needs no refrigeration can get approval!!!!

I'm hoping the J&J vaccine has a 95% efficacy like the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines do.

[Hansa]

Yes Moderna is very small compared to Pfizer. Those two are the ones that are using messenger RNA[hence Moderna] as the breakthrough process for the vaccine instead of chicken eggs and time. Whatever the financial process both are coming through at unheardof speed. And we should be thankful it's happening.
The Trump administration agreed in July to buy at least $1.95 billion worth of a Pfizer vaccine, at least 100 million doses after the vaccine got authorized. Pfizer is getting a heap of money form our government.