2.14.23 

“Follow the Money to Big Pharma’s COVID Vax”

 By Henry W. Burke

 

A person holding a needle in front of a dollar bill.

Pfizer came out of the pandemic as the clear winner among pharmaceutical companies with record profits of $80 billion from COVID since 2020.  Big Pharma (made up of the largest drug companies) earned over $100 billion in profits from COVID vaccines in 2022.

“Follow the Money” has become a common phrase in our corrupt culture.  The way Big Pharma has profited from the COVID vaccines (jabs) is a powerful example of this concept.  

Because the COVID “vaccines” did not receive rigorous testing before they were launched and have caused multi-thousands of adverse effects across the world, these “shots”  should rightfully be called “jabs” and not “vaccines.”  However, for ease of communication, I will use the term “vaccines” in this article.

The U.S. government has spent more than $30 billion of taxpayer money on COVID-19 vaccines, including the new bivalent boosters. To ensure broad use (and to maximize Big Pharma profits), the government has provided these jabs free of charge to the public.   At a cost of $25.3 billion, the federal government has purchased 1.2 billion doses of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines combined. This translates to a weighted average price of $20.69 per dose. (https://www.theepochtimes.com/government-purchased-covid-19-treatments-set-to-run-out-heres-what-to-expect_5034672.html?ea_src=ai&ea_med=search)

BIG PHARMA EARNINGS

Because some people get confused between Revenue and Earnings, an explanation is in order.  Revenue is the amount a company earns from the sales of its products. Earnings (often called Profits) are what is left after deducting expenses, interest, and taxes.  

The world’s largest pharmaceutical companies (Big Pharma) have raked in billions of dollars in profits from COVID over the last two plus years (since late 2020).  Big Pharma is a collective term for the largest companies in the pharmaceutical industry.

“Major drugmakers such as Pfizer, BioNTech, Moderna, Gilead Sciences, AstraZeneca, and Merck are estimated to have made about $100 billion in profits from COVID vaccines last year.” [2022]--(https://www.theepochtimes.com/big-pharma-set-to-hit-sales-cliff-as-demand-for-covid-vaccine-is-set-to-plummet-in-2023_5037653.html?ea_src=ai&ea_med=search)

The Biden Administration will end the national emergency declarations for COVID on May 11, 2023.  Under the Public Health Emergency declaration, the government has been funding COVID-19 vaccines.  Once this ends, the costs will be transferred to private insurance and government insurance plans.  

The government still has stockpiles of COVID vaccines.  When the federal government stops buying the COVID vaccines, the prices will increase dramatically.  For example, Pfizer will charge about $110 to $130 per dose (up from about $30 per dose when the government, meaning taxpayers, was paying for it).  (https://www.theepochtimes.com/biden-admin-plans-to-end-covid-19-emergency-declarations-on-may-11_5021586.html)

Moderna made about $18.4 billion in earnings (profits) in 2022.  Analysts expect earnings to drop to around $7 billion in 2023 as the government ends its COVID giveaways.  The stock price of Moderna has fallen from about $500 (at the pandemic high) to $170 on February 6, 2023.

PFIZER REVENUE AND EARNINGS

Among all the pharmaceutical companies, Pfizer is the biggest beneficiary from the COVID vaccines.  In 2022, Pfizer reported all-time record high revenues (sales) of $100 billion for the company. Pfizer had more than $56 billion in revenue (sales) in 2022 from the COVID vaccine and from its COVID antiviral treatment Paxlovid.  From late 2020 through 2022, Pfizer posted COVID earnings of $80 billion.   

Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine controls 70% of the U.S. and European markets.  Pfizer sold $37.8 billion of its COVID vaccine in 2022.  Sales of Pfizer’s antiviral Paxlovid surged to $18.9 billion in 2022.  Paxlovid costs about $530 for a five-day course of treatment.  (https://www.thelundreport.org/content/pfizer’s-covid-cash-powers-‘marketing-machine’-hunt-new-supernovas#:~:text=jpeg&text=For%20drugmaker%20Pfizer%2C%20a%20fortune,U.S.%20taxpayers%20and%20foreign%20governments

In June 2022, the federal government announced that it would purchase another 105 million doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 shot for $3.2 billion.  The shots cost more than $30 per dose; this represents about a 50% increase from the initial contract price with Pfizer of $19.50 per dose. 

Bill Gates has profited handsomely from the Pfizer COVID vaccines.  In 2019, he invested $55 million in BioNTech.  That investment is now worth $550 million!  In 2021, Bill Gates called the mRNA shots “game changers.”  The German firm BioNTech developed the mRNA COVID vaccine for Pfizer.  

Ironically, Bill Gates later criticized the COVID jabs, stating, “They don’t block infection, aren’t effective against variants, and have a ‘very short duration.’”  To make sure his profits will continue in the future, he provides funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) to influence its decisions.

(https://www.theepochtimes.com/bill-gates-makes-10x-investment-on-mrna-vaccines_5049138.html?ea_src=ai&ea_med=search)

“Decades ago, Fauci and Gates formed an agreement to control and expand the global vaccine enterprise, which in 2021 culminated in a plan to inject every man, woman, and child on the planet with an experimental COVID-19 shot. Gates’ and Fauci’s collaboration is detailed in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s bestselling book,” The Real Anthony Fauci.” (https://www.theepochtimes.com/bill-gates-makes-10x-investment-on-mrna-vaccines_5049138.html?ea_src=ai&ea_med=search)

The drug companies invest heavily in lobbying and political campaigns.  Pfizer has spent more than $25 million for lobbying since 2020.  In the 2020 election cycle, Pfizer donated about $3.5 million to political campaigns, more than any other drug company.  Not surprisingly, the greatest share of money went to Democrats.  

“While the world was plunged into a time of economic instability and panic during the COVID-19 pandemic, pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer made out like bandits and continue to reap the astonishing profits of their ineffective COVID-19 treatments. Ironically, part of what makes the treatments so profitable is the fact that they don’t do what they’re supposed to, which is prevent and effectively treat COVID-19.”  (https://www.theepochtimes.com/pfizer-to-make-54-billion-off-treating-covid-over-and-over_4718523.html?)ea_src=ai&ea_med=search)

In other words, Big Pharma is making huge profits from the COVID vaccines and antiviral medications. Because the shots do not work, numerous boosters are required.  This allows the drug companies to double-dip.  Big Pharma profits from the original, failed COVID vaccinations; and then Big Pharma turns right around and sells the boosters for the COVID infections that the original vaxxes were supposed to prevent.  To further increase their profits, Big Pharma also sells antiviral medications such as Pfizer’s Paxlovid.

In November 2022, Pfizer announced that it would triple or quadruple the price of its COVID vaccine (to $110 to $130 per shot) when it goes on the commercial market in 2023!  The U.S. government paid $30.50 per shot in its latest contract with Pfizer.  Meanwhile, Pfizer is inundating doctors, pharmacists, and consumers with advertisements for Paxlovid.  (https://www.thelundreport.org/content/pfizer’s-covid-cash-powers-‘marketing-machine’-hunt-new-supernovas#:~:text=jpeg&text=For%20drugmaker%20Pfizer,%20a%20fortune,U.S.%20taxpayers%20and%20foreign%20governments)

Pfizer came out of the pandemic as the clear winner among drug makers.  Pfizer’s revenue in 2021 was $81.3 billion, roughly double what it was in 2020 ($41.7 billion).  Because Pfizer was hugely profitable, it was able to dictate COVID policy.  The company’s executives frequently announced the next stage in the pandemic fight before the government officials had time to study the issue. (https://khn.org/news/article/pfizer-pandemic-vaccine-market-paxlovid-outsize-profit-influence/)

Pfizer certainly didn’t stop with COVID.  Their huge cash influx has allowed Pfizer to purchase other drug companies.  For example Pfizer bought Biohaven for $11.6 billion, Oxbryta for $5.4 billion, and Arena Pharmaceuticals for $6.7 billion.  With 80,000 employees, Pfizer has become a veritable pharmaceutical powerhouse!   (https://www.thelundreport.org/content/pfizer’s-covid-cash-powers-‘marketing-machine’-hunt-new-supernovas#:~:text=jpeg&text=For%20drugmaker%20Pfizer,%20a%20fortune,U.S.%20taxpayers%20and%20foreign%20governments)

When we follow the money, it leads us to huge pharmaceutical companies that definitely cashed in on the pandemic.  In the spirit of “never let a good crisis go to waste,” Big Pharma capitalized on the pandemic and on the federal government’s largess.  

In every game, there is a winner and a loser.  In this game, Big Pharma was the winner. Unfortunately, the American taxpayer was the loser!

The real loss has been the tremendous suffering and deaths of those who “trusted” Big Pharma’s lies.