Pfizer vaccine prices exposed by Belgian blunder, may cost RM59 each here

KUALA LUMPUR – A Belgian minister’s accidental exposure of Covid-19 vaccine prices has given Malaysia an indication of how much it is expected to pay for the Pfizer-BioNTech version to be delivered here. 

According to a report by The Guardian newspaper, Belgium’s budget state secretary Eva De Bleeker posted on her Twitter account the price list of six different vaccines that her country intends to purchase, ranging from as low as US$2.18 (RM8.81) to a high of US$18. 

The article quoted De Bleeker as saying that Belgium will be paying US$14.71 for the Pfizer vaccine, the second most expensive of the six variants. 

Based on this price, Malaysia can expect to pay around RM374.5 million for the procurement of this version of the vaccine to cover 20% of the population, as previously announced by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Prices of #COVID19 vaccines that EU Commission will pay. Numbers were leaked due to mistake by Belgian budget secretary:
-Oxford/AstraZeneca: €1.78
-Johnson & Johnson: $8.50
-Sanofi/GSK: €7.56
-BioNTech/Pfizer: €12
-CureVac: €10
-Moderna: $18https://t.co/mVPsiTgKrQ

— Jorge Liboreiro (@JorgeLiboreiro) December 18, 2020

However, it is worth noting that the price for Malaysia may differ as every country negotiates individually with the manufacturers.

Other than Pfizer, Malaysia has also agreed to procure vaccines from the Covid-19 vaccine global access (Covax) under the World Health Organisation for 10% of the population.

While not divulging exact figures, Khairy had previously said the ceiling price set under Covax is US$21. 

The government has allocated RM3 billion for the procurement of vaccines for 70% of Malaysians, including for delivery and storage. 

The Guardian reported that De Bleeker deleted her tweet not long after she posted the prices, but not soon enough to prevent interested parties from taking screenshots. 

According to her list, the vaccines Belgium is purchasing are Oxford/AstraZeneca (US$2.18), Johnson & Johnson (US$8.50), Sanofi/GSK (US$9.27), CureVac (US$12.26), Pfizer/BioNTech (US$14.71) and Moderna (US$18). – The Vibes, December 21, 2020