Chapter 1: The Economic Gamble on Vaccination

The Serum Institute of India, the largest vaccine manufacturer in the world, has made a substantial investment in a Covid-19 vaccine that is still undergoing trials.

The Serum Institute plans to charge a maximum of $3 per dose for its Covid-19 vaccine in India and other low- to middle-income nations. This pricing strategy has been enabled by a $150 million interest-free, forgivable loan from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2021, the Serum Institute committed to manufacturing up to 100 million doses of two Covid-19 vaccine candidates from Novavax, and also from AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford, both of which are currently in the trial phase. This financial support is instrumental in speeding up production and significantly reducing the price from an earlier estimate of $13 per dose. For context, the U.S. government has set a benchmark of $40 per dose in its agreement with Pfizer and BioNTech and $15 per dose in its latest arrangement with Moderna.

The Serum Institute, managed by the affluent Poonawalla family, made a daring move by betting on the Oxford vaccine candidate. They struck a deal to start mass production back in April, at a time when human trials had only just begun. This proactive choice poses a considerable risk; not only could the $85 million investment in production fail, but it may also hinder the opportunity to develop numerous other vaccines in progress. However, the overarching goal is to ensure that a vaccine, if proven safe and effective, is accessible and affordable for the global population.

While the outcome remains uncertain, recent promising results from Oxford's phase 1 and 2 trials suggest that the Poonawallas’ strategy could be one of the most astute decisions made during this pandemic. In stark contrast, Russia's recent approval of an untested Covid-19 vaccine has left many in disbelief.

The first video discusses the implications of COVID shots no longer being free for the uninsured, with potential costs reaching up to $200.

The second video outlines how new COVID-19 shots could exceed $200 for uninsured residents in Georgia, shedding light on the financial burdens that may arise.

Chapter 2: The Path Forward

The stakes are high. If given the opportunity to immunize the world against the coronavirus, would you seize it… or let it pass by?