Pfizer's COVID-19 Vaccines Are Declining!

The COVID-19 vaccine season is not off to a fast start for Pfizer. Sales of the Comirnaty vaccine in the United States have dropped by 25% after federal officials narrowed recommendations on who should get vaccinated.

Approval for the updated vaccines came weeks later than usual, and Pfizer indicated that this situation negatively impacted sales.

Most Americans get vaccinated in the fall to protect against any disease outbreaks before winter. However, experts note that interest in COVID-19 vaccines has declined, and this may lead to negative attitudes towards the vaccine and confusion about its necessity this fall.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stopped recommending COVID-19 vaccinations last month and left this decision to patients' own initiative. This change indicates that recommendations from advisors selected by United States Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are being embraced in the industry.

Prior to this year, U.S. health officials were recommending annual COVID-19 booster shots for all Americans aged 6 months and older based on the advice of infectious disease specialists. But this idea started to change after Kennedy questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines; they were no longer recommended for healthy children and pregnant women.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, noted that vaccination rates have been "suboptimal," or insufficient, even among high-risk individuals in recent years. “This season is expected to see a further decline,” he said.

The changing guidelines regarding safety created confusion as updated vaccines began to arrive at pharmacies in September. Some places required a prescription or questioned customers about their risk of catching severe COVID-19.

This change raised questions about whether insurance coverage would continue. A major industry group like the American Health Insurance Plans clarified that its members would cover the vaccines.

CVS Health announced earlier this month that it would not require a prescription at its stores and clinics.

Independent pharmacy owner Theresa Tolle stated that this fall is likely one of the most confusing periods for her customers. She runs Bay Street Pharmacy in Sebastian, Florida, and notes that she has received a high demand for COVID-19 vaccines. However, she also mentions that she has heard that more customers are reluctant to get vaccinated this year.

“There are so many messages that they don’t even know who to believe,” she said. “Many people say they are afraid, even though they were vaccinated before.”

Pfizer reported that Comirnaty sales in the U.S. dropped from $1.16 billion in the same period last year to $870 million in the most recently completed third quarter. This followed a rise in vaccine sales during the first two quarters of the year.

Wall Street analysts expect Moderna's Spikevax vaccine sales to drop by approximately 50% in the third quarter. Moderna will announce its third-quarter results on Thursday.