Moderna to keep COVID-19 vaccine cost-free after PHE ends

Photo: Kathrin Ziegler/Getty Images

Moderna, which along with Pfizer had manufactured the vast majority of COVID-19 vaccines in the United States, has said it will continue to offer its vaccine at no cost when the public health emergency ends.

The PHE is slated to end on May 11. The vaccines had been available at no cost to Americans for the duration of the pandemic, but with the PHE expiring soon, no federal funding has been allocated to provide free access.

Moderna said it "remains committed" to ensuring access to the vaccines regardless of ability to pay.

Its 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. For uninsured or underinsured people, Moderna's patient assistance program will provide the vaccines for free.

WHAT'S THE IMPACT

In the U.S. 80.8% of the population has had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 69% are considered fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it is continuing to explore ways to ensure maximum access to COVID-19 vaccinations. Staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations is the best defense against severe illness, hospitalization and death from the virus, the agency said.

CMS reiterated the free access to vaccines following actions taken by the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorizing the updated vaccines for children six months through five years. Children ages six months through five years who previously completed a Moderna primary series are eligible to receive a Moderna bivalent updated vaccine two months after their final primary series dose, CMS said.

Children ages six months through four years who are currently completing a Pfizer primary series will receive a Pfizer bivalent vaccine as their third primary dose.

THE LARGER TREND

According to statistics released in October by the Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, but a paucity of Americans received their booster shots as of last fall.

Previous ASPE research estimated that county-level primary COVID-19 vaccination rates through May 2021 were linked to reductions in mortality and hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries. During 2021, the agency found that the largest vaccine-related reductions in COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths occurred during the summer Delta surge.

The group's model suggests vaccinations were associated with an estimated 670,000–680,000 fewer hospitalizations and 330,000–370,000 fewer deaths among all Medicare beneficiaries through the end of 2021. This represents a 39 to 47% reduction in these outcomes.

Yet only about one-third of adults have received the booster aimed at the Omicron variant, which remains highly transmissible.
 

Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: Jeff.Lagasse@himssmedia.com