Pfizer to charge up to $130 for COVD vaccine by 2023

Get your shots while they’re on the house: Drug maker Pfizer said Friday that once the Federal government stops footing the bill for COVID-19 vaccines, the cost of a shot will rise to between $110 and $130 for adults.

That pricing could start as early as 2023, though Pfizer executives believe private insurers and public programs will largely limit how many individuals wind up paying out of pocket.

The Centers for Disease Control says more than 375 million Americans have been treated with Pfizer’s vaccine since it was made available to adults in December 2020. Use was extended to people aged 12 to 15 five months later. An updated single-shot booster has been administered to 12 million people in 2022.

An EMT from Rescue Inc., prepares shots of the Pfizer booster of the COVID-19 vaccine during a vaccine clinic held by Rescue Inc. at Leland & Gray Middle and High School, in Townshend, Vt., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. (Kristopher Radder Brattleboro Reformer/)

The CDC reports that more than 90% of Americans received at least a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, though slightly more than half as many have been administered a booster shot.

COVID-19 vaccinations was Pfizer’s best-selling product last year, accounting for nearly $37 billion in revenue. It is expected to account for $32 million in revenue in 2022.

U.S. company president Angela Lukin cites the cost of commercial distribution and the increased costs for converting to single-dose vials for the likely price hike. She stated the commercial price is still inexpensive in comparison to other “highly effective” vaccines.

Pfizer said it has in place an assistance program based on income for uninsured people who want to be vaccinated.

Booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine are displayed during a vaccine clinic in Townshend, Vt., on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. (Kristopher Radder/)

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More than 1 million Americans have died form the coronavirus in fewer than three years. The first U.S. death attributed to COVID-19 was reported in February 2020.

While vaccines can’t prevent people from becoming infected with the coronavirus, the CDC says “Vaccines reduce the risk of COVID-19, including the risk of severe illness and death among people who are fully vaccinated.”

With News Wire Services