(HealthDay News) — Vaccination with Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines will remain free for US adults even after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends on May 11, the company announced.
“Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be available at no cost for insured people whether they receive them at their doctors’ offices or local pharmacies,” the company said in a statement.
“For uninsured or underinsured people, Moderna’s patient assistance program will provide COVID-19 vaccines at no cost. Everyone in the United States will have access to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine regardless of their ability to pay.”
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Meanwhile, Pfizer has announced plans to hike the price of its COVID-19 vaccines after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. The starting price is $110 per dose, which is more than triple what the United States paid last summer for its bulk purchase of the vaccines, CBS News reported.
Moderna faces different pressures than Pfizer because the US government subsidized its vaccine development. A hearing called “Taxpayers Paid Billions For It: So Why Would Moderna Consider Quadrupling the Price of the COVID Vaccine?” is scheduled to take place next month. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel is scheduled to testify at that hearing, CBS News reported.
Congress has not funded the Biden administration’s request for a program to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations to adults who are uninsured or underinsured. However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is planning to add COVID-19 vaccines to the list of shots offered at no cost to uninsured or underinsured children via the Vaccines for Children program.
