Coronavirus vaccine update: Moderna plans to price vaccine at $50-$60 per course

Moderna aims to sell its coronavirus vaccine at a proposed price of $50 to $60 per course, higher than other firms such as Pfizer and BioNTech, if it's successfully developed. The two firms Pfizer and BioNTech had priced the drug at $39 for two doses under a deal with the US government, Financial Times reported. With this, other major firms may also be expected to set similar prices for their drugs going ahead.

In a separate development, Moderna's vaccine candidate has been found to produce encouraging results in a trial that inoculated 16 monkeys. According to the findings published  on Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, monkeys didn't show any sign of creating enhanced disease, a problem that has occasionally been associated with vaccines.

Coronavirus vaccine unlikely before mid 2021

Even as various countries are racing against time to produce coronavirus vaccine, German Research Minister Anja Karliczek on Wednesday said a vaccine is not likely to be available widely before the mid-2021. "We must continue to assume that vaccines for the broader population will only be available from the middle of next year at the earliest," she told reporters.

Brazil's vaccine distribution plan

The Brazilian government has said that it would begin with the distribution of just over 15 million dozens of Oxford-AstraZeneca experimental vaccine if trials prove the vaccine is safe.

WHO's warning

An official at the World Health Organisation (WHO) described the coronavirus pandemic "one big wave". WHO also warned against complacency during summers since the infection does not share influenza's tendency to follow seasons. "The virus likes all seasons," the official said.Also read: India may set up electronics commission to reduce dependency of manufacturers on China

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