With federal COVID-19 funds dwindling, Pfizer's vaccine may cost between $110 and $130 per dose once it is sold commercially, a company spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal in an Oct. 20 report.
The vaccinemaker is still in discussions with insurance companies, but it expects the commercial rollout to happen early next year. HHS recently extended the public health emergency for an 11th time, which places the current deadline to Jan. 11, 2023. When the nation's stockpile of purchased COVID-19 vaccines runs out, and if the PHE is not renewed, the shots will transition to commercial distribution and sales typical of other vaccines, like the flu shot.
A Pfizer spokesperson told the Journal the commercial price of a single dose, which has not been decided yet, would incorporate the value of the shot and manufacturing costs. The company said it expects that insurance plans will cover the cost, and most patients will not have to pay anything out of pocket.
In late August, Dawn O'Connell, the preparation and response coordinator for HHS, said free COVID-19 shots would run out by January. The federal government stopped offering free COVID-19 test kits in September because of a lack of funds.