>

Capitalism
Pfizer also plans to charge between $100 and $130 for its vaccine.  What a coincidence. >

And just like that vaccine rates drop to 0% >

They will still be paid for by insurance and subsidized by the government for the end user. Like flu shots today.  This is fleecing the taxpayers, not the end user.   
Edit: people misunderstanding my comment - I’m not in favor of the higher prices, I’m just saying it likely wont have an impact on vaccination rates.  This is exactly what happens with national healthcare. >

And the uninsured and underinsured. The are disposable. /s >

It ain’t free to die. Cost more than $ 10,000 to be interred. >

It is very free to the individual that dies. The family is the one who foots the bill if prior arrangements aren’t made. Also, good thing many of my family members chose cremation, it was a lot less than $10k. >

Tell me about it. I’ve been there. >

Same, my Grandparents and Father all died unexpectedly within 6 months of each other a few years back, along with my best friend who had a 2 month old baby. Irrelevant because I was not responsible for taking care of his funeral, but I do know it was not cheap. >

Those are very sad times and expensive times. Yet, life goes on. Take care. No one gets out alive. >

It is patently absurd (pun intended) that the government just surrenders these patents and intellectual property to for profit companies without maintaining any control over them whatsoever.  
If this isn’t a great example of corporate capture, I don’t know what is >

I thought Moderna was the one company that didn’t benefit from operation warp speed? Not that i in any way condone the price hike. >

I believe Operation Warp Speed dealt with manufacturing not development. The idea of manufacturing vaccines that had positive data before they were approved since it takes a long time to build up a large amount of vaccine cultures. The thinking is at least one vaccine would get approved and the headstart would offer enough savings in the economy to justify the cost, not to mention lives saved. >

No it dealt with both.  Moderna developed their vaccine solo  . Again i don’t think the raise in price is a good thing but you have to admit it puts them in a different position than the other vaccine developers >

Moderna took $1.5 billion for development. >

So did they take less money for something else ? I’ve always heard they were somehow an exception to receiving the benefits of operation warp speed. Are you saying this is totally false?! If it’s not then they should be granted a little more freedom for turning down a government handout. >

BioNTech is the vaccine company that rejected Operation Warp Speed funding. They created the vaccine, and partnered with Pfizer in the US to develop mass production and distribution. >

BioNtech was supported by the German government and they want their taxpayer money back, Germany is a well run country for the taxpayer >

Source? >

it was around the time of the "release the patents" push, 2021, the German government said no as it was their investment >

Because in America we socialize the loses and privatize the profits. >

Profit will kill millions. India and other countries knew this was going to happen, were trying to push for making the vaccine and related tech public domain so developing countries can develop their own. But no, IP and monopolization of something as essential as a vaccine amongst the rich pharmaceutical corps among the rich countries is non-negotiable. This is what millions will die over - someone had to make money. >

This announcement should have been followed by the US announcing it is now public domain. Teach those fuckers a lesson. >


those fuckers

Which fuckers? The people profiting from this are the people in charge. Congress representatives made millions of off pharma stock gains. >

Upon being elected any gains made by the official should be forfeited over to the governing body over their constituents, raise their pay a bit but they don't get 5 sources of revenue to funnel bribes through anymore. >

It was put to a vote and it was a unanimous "no". >

Politicians are the best investment a company can make. >

It’s sad how true this comment is :(((( >

Congress needs to pass legislation that requires the federal government/American taxpayers to get a slice of the “pie” just like private investors get! Imagine the tax relief for Americans if that had been done from the country’s beginning. >

Correct. We need to start structuring these in one of several ways:
1) a loan with clear payback terms and interest rates 
2) an investment where the government obtains a certain percentage of the economic outcomes (dividends, royalties, etc)
3) a hybrid model of loan and investment. 
4) government owned IP that is sold or leased to private individuals/companies at fair market value. This would be things are are generated by government agencies or exclusively funded by federal dollars. >

So a simple contract just like any sane business partner would make. I see where libertarians get their hatred of the government from, I also just dislike their alternative more >

Their poor CEO needs to buy groceries >

Hey now that third yacht isn't going to buy itself you know. >

Betsy DeVos’s yacht scheduler has entered the chat. >

50 Republicans and Kyrsten Sinema, made sure this could happen. >

That's just 51 Republicans. >

Sinema i something even further than a republican. Don't know what exactly, a horse tirdling or something, but worse for sure. >

Because “privatized profits and socialized expenses” is the story of the United States from 1980-Present. >

I can answer that question... for money >

Publicize the cost, privatize the profit; it’s as American as apple pie. >

It’s all a big club and we’re not in it🙃 >

In any logical universe the company would only profit after having repaid the government first. >

moderna is a business, and businesses exist for one reason:  to make as much money as they can get away with.  that's it.  there's nothing else.  
moderna wouldn't have put one ounce of effort into developing the vaccine if they hadn't been guaranteed big profits.  
why we continue to worship at the altar of big business is beyond me. >


why we continue to worship at the altar of big business is beyond me.

Because big business donates big money to sleazy politicians >

Because the US government exists to implement socialism for corporations and anarcho-capitalism on the poor. >

Let me tell you a story about insulin... >

Not having controlling interest in the patent should be investigated. >

Who do you think the government works for?
Us the people?  LOL >

Corporations are people my friend. /s >

That’s not sarcastic there was a bill written to say just that >

thats just the way that capitalism works. the research for anything remotely useful within the past century has been publicly funded and immediately turned over to the private sector to rape and pillage the public for profit. its an american tradition >

And most of the stadiums in each state >

Tons of meds get US government funding and then congress (investors) and the companies, sell them to impossible to afford prices, while people in other countries get it for free with their universal healthcare. >

"Fuck you! Pay me." >

M4A now.  Not later…..fucking now.  I’m done with this fucking bullshit >

I don’t know how this won’t lead to a massive increase in COVID cases down the road. People aren’t going to pay for this. >

The agreement signed off on by the US govt allows it, so they will charge what they can. >

Who signed off on it? Was it that grand ole negotiator TFG? >

Yea that's the one, the brilliant negotiator >

Behold the art of the deal. >

This should be free to all and we should be sharing it with other countries otherwise this will happen again and again. >

thats what they call "long term gains" >

Socialism when developing it, capitalism when selling it. >

It's not only a way to deter people from getting vaccinated, but a way to give the fervent anti vaccine another reason to vilify vaccine makers, which will only help sustain the contrarianism and all the conspiracies that come along with this deranged ideology.
The damage is done, even If most insurance plans end up covering the vaccine, it still looks bad, it's still negligence, it's still exploitative. >

Because our corrupt politicians are getting their cut of that money >

Once again proving that capitalism doesn’t solve problems, just monetizes them. >

I think you are not in complete understanding of how corporate welfare works... >

The government offered this deal to pharma so that pharma would prioritize research and production.  That’s why the US was miles ahead of the EU in getting vaccine delivered to its citizens.  Nothing talks like money. >

basically.  We went from novel disease to vaccine in less than a year.  That is astounding. >

Because “Money” that’s why. >

Corporations aren't people, people have the capacity for compassion. >

This is the case for many medications actually >

Socialise the losses, privatise the gains... All done by design >

Socialize costs; privatize value.
Is there a billion dollar business that isn't subsidized by tax dollars?
It's a shame taxpayers can't participate in the rewards of this system, either directly (ownership) or indirectly (social safety nets). >

Because rich ppl will still pay it and healthcare is for the rich in America. The pharmaceutical companies doesn’t give a damn. Look at the price of insulin. They only care about your wallet. Damn this country sucks. >

Because the govt allows it, simple as that. You all keep voting for corporate assholes >

How do you ask this knowing what pharmaceutical companies have done with insulin? >

Socialize the costs, privatize the profits, baby! >

Because it's time to break out the French haircutting devices. >

Lawmakers get kickbacks from Big Pharma. That's how it's allowable. >

Corporate welfare. >

Why does a dog lick his balls? Because he can. >

Because fuck you that's why >

Because the American government is an arm of the corporate shareholder class, not the American people. >

Because this is America, where corporate profits are more important than the lives of citizens. Get with the program Independent this ain't new. >

Because the parasites in our government are the same parasites who are heavily invested in these corporations.
of course they don't care about right or wrong. >

Because pharmaceutical prices are not regulated >

Groovy, smashing, yaaaay capitalism >

*The US government spent $30bn developing the covid vaccine so Moderna can charge $110 a jab >

Privatize the profits. Publicize the loss. >

The CEO also got a fat bonus >

Capitalism for the poor socialism for the rich……we deserve everything we get as a nation we vote this shit in >

A reminder why neo-liberal economic policy solutions like government & private sector partnerships are bad for citizens. >

Fuck’em, that’s how. (Moderna to all of the US, not just Biden).  FDA should pull its approvals. >

And now more refugees won’t get vaccinated, people who can’t afford health insurance, the undocumented, international students and others who don’t have healthcare available to them. >

The plan all along, either keep drinking the corrupt government kool aid or wake the fuck up >

Just nationalize these parasites >

Corporate welfare queens Moderna. Tax them extra Mr President >

Super Yachts don't buy themselves people.. come on. >

Guess who’s got two thumbs and will never get another booster if they charge me $110? 
This guy! >

That big pharma gouging must stop now. >

Publicly subsidized privately profitable, the anthem of the upper-tier puppeteer untouchable >

You mean the US taxpayers >

The DC Yahoos don't  care. They, their families and staff will get it for free or pass the cost to us taxpayers. >

Does any one else recall that the Trump administration gave incentives and secret agreements about liability, or lack thereof,  when the vaccine was hoping to become realty? >

Laughs in university research funding >

Because fuck you >

I don’t think you guys followed the news well enough here. Clearly, since the funding for Covid came from government spending, which came from American tax dollars, we became automatic shareholders in Moderna because that’s your money that was used for investment.     
So while Moderna is going to charge a ridiculous, unethical, $110 a jab it’s ok because $105 (the staggering, ungodly profit) gets distributed straight back to the American people I’m the form of a dividend. That’s how that works. Move over Buffet we are all big time investors now! >

I wonder how many people won’t see the irony in your post. 
I got it though! Thank you for a good chuckle >

Because those two entities are effectively different branches of the same company. >

Corrupt politicians >

Corporate greed at its finest! It never changes we pay to make it and they sell it back to us plus interest. >

You think that's bad? The internet was developed with public funds and basically given to private ISPs to sell back to us. And they consistently rate among the worst companies for customer service.
This is all very typical unfortunately. >

Capitalism is theft. >

Because everything is made up and the points don't matter >

Least greedy American: >

Same as many big companies in our corporatism economy.   With a smile on their shareholders faces. >

Let me introduce you to AT&T >

Politicians are paid by and work large corporations >

How can they charge $110 a jab? Google the story of insulin. That will explain everything. >

America: A Story of Corporate Socialisim - privatizing profits and socializing losses >

So why the fuck isn't the government stepping in to stop this shit? >

Nationalize the medical industry.  Problem solved. >

Maybe we need to give them another 30 billion to develop a treatment for long-Covid? >

how about we get universal healthcare finally? >

No one is going to charge anything. If the flu shot is free, then so will the covid shot in the future.
Otherwise people will be less inclined to get it which will just further increase transmission rates. >

And people wonder why society is getting more conspiracy leaning.. 
The politicians that allowed/made this happened should be fucking jailed. 
Disgusting capitalism. So shameless. >

Vecause theyre bastards and theres no oversight in this country for large corparations, especially pharmacuticals. >

The answer is Capitalism.  Unregulated late-stage capitalism. >

Laughs in Europe. >

A for profit healthcare system and political leaders who take “donations” from them, that’s how. >

USA fucked up health care system. I believe they cost something like €12.50 for the 2 doses, which was about double of the AstraZeneca at the time. And of course it was paid by the state (Germany for me). Boosters are "free" too. We do pay health insurance tax monthly, so "included" is more accurate than "free".
I'm sure that Moderna, Pfizer and the rest have calculated what is the highest price point to maximize their executive pay and bonuses, disguised as shareholder value. They'll do this market by market, and since the USA has by far the highest health care costs, it is easy to get the highest prices. Also expect the highest costs for getting it put in your arm. >

Because nobody has stopped them. >

Moderna CEO said: "I think it’s a hard argument to make in value-based pricing to say that vaccines ought to be priced at 10 cents ... That, I think, comes not from the economic argument, that comes from the public health argument," he added.
I read: "We put profits over people." >

Capitalist bullshit. Private company gets public funding to develop vaccine. As soon as they get the funds it somehow becomes ‘theirs’ alone, and because money, greed and corruption rule (almost) everybody gets fucked over >

It’s all about the money. Always has been. >

Giant multinational corporations basically are the US govt >

This country and our non regulations are disgraceful. >

Pharmaceutical companies really have our best interests in mind. You should be thankful to pay that amount for the jab. In fact even if they charged 500% more, you should be honored. They only want the best for us… >

"jab" >

because anything less would be socialism, and that'd benefit blacks and minorities and women! >

Capitalism is incompatible with life. Next question please >

Since the Pandemic, this system has  created 9 new billionaires with combined wealth greater than cost of vaccinating world's poorest countries.  
Winner Take All Capitalism....what a great thing! >

This is all a result of lobbyists impact to politics and government. No public money would be available to Big Pharma if they weren’t paying tens of millions a year to “support” political campaigns. 
In turn, our duly elected officials turn the other way when they charge full price for a government subsidized service. Some will say that “we wouldn’t have a vaccine if we didn’t do this,” and you’re right. They would let us die if they couldn’t make a ton of money on it.
Edit: changed “support” senators to “support” political campaigns. Much more folks to blame that JUST the senate. >


So how can Moderna plan to charge $110 a jab?

Well you see, they're a corporation under American capitalism, which means they can do pretty much anything that they want to as long as all they're doing is fucking over consumers and the general public. 
The US government has shown quite clearly over the last half century that it exists to protect the corporations from masses, not the other way around. >

Because this is capitalism working as intended. Taxpayers fund research needed to develop many medicines but when they are developed they are free to charge what the market can bare. Look at insulin, $2,000 per mont here and $12 in Canada. 
Obama took a lot of flack for pointing how business owners benefit from taxpayer funded things like infrastructure while AOC was pilloried for rejecting an Amazon warehouse that was going to be given so much in tax break incentives that it would have been the taxpayers who paid their employees salaries for years to come.
The sense of entitlement displayed by the rich is as disgusting as it is unpatriotic. >

I mean, it was 100% free to everyone for like 2 years. I fuckin' hate the economics of pharmaceuticals and how much of a black hole it is but I have trouble being too mad about this. >

Capitalism is the number 1 ruler in North Americas. N. Americas soon to be two social structures (Wealthy and Non-Wealthy). >

Socialism for me capitalism for thee >

All pharmaceuticals and tech subsidized by US money need to be subject to federal patent, so they can be made broadly available at a reasonable cost. Proceeds from relevant patents should be used to develop a national UBI fund, so that all of our tax dollars constantly going toward these important projects don't then leave the general citizenry with nothing while people with the means to monetize those public goods make off like bandits. >

Because capitalism >

Greed, and the fact that our country will do nothing about it without pushback from us. Endless funds for war come from our infrastructure >

We will not land up paying much if anything for the shot, the manufacturer will get in bed with the right politician, who will burry the cost in a bill and the government (us indirectly) will pay it. >

If people aren’t dying from not being able to afford it, then how can we justify a $100 shot >

The vaccines have been a business model since day one just like anything else.
With the boosters you basically have a subscription service lol. >

Cause for profit Healthcare. >

This is a really good way to make sure poor people all get Covid >

Moderna is planning to charge $130 for its COVID vaccine, but the vaccine only costs $2.85 to make.
Meanwhile, over the last two years, the company made over $19 billion in profits off the vaccine. 
Folks, this is what corporate greed looks like. >

Wow, is the American public finally waking up to something that has been happening for decades? Taxpayers pay for R&D, corporations get the profits. Particularly in tech. Then those people get to act like geniuses. Sweet deal. >

I don’t understand why this is even news; it’s so rhetorically stupid. The NIH is finally generating revenue by licensing the IP they co-developed with the $30b investment. Moderna has listed the NIH as co-inventors on their COVID vaccine patents. Moderna doesn’t have another huge government contract driving the price down through sales volume, so they’re raising the price to fund their $4b 2023 R&D pipeline (which includes a potential cure for cancer). Why are we blaming Moderna and Pfizer for doing what corporations do when the actual failures are squarely caused by government?
(Edit: punctuation) >

Capitalism and corruption will slowly kill every country. America is no different. >

Our rating: Missing context
The U.S. government has given Moderna Therapeutics about $2.5 billion, including federal grants for university research, for the development of the company's vaccine and to purchase doses once approved. To say that the vaccine is fully funded by the federal government discounts a small but very real private donation to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Based on our research, we rate the claim MISSING CONTEXT. >

Wasn’t this part of the point of “Operation Warpspeed”? You remove all regulatory barriers, and made society pay for R&D costs of unproven medicines, and in exchange we got a Covid vaccine inside of like 12 months. 
I’m not saying this isn’t really shitty, but it was always part of the deal that we gave up control of these in exchange for private industry getting its ass in gear. 
The fact that pharma companies decided to eventually be assholes shouldn’t be a shock >


The fact that pharma companies decided to eventually be assholes shouldn’t be a shock

The American voter has the memory of a goldfish. >

Because "Fuck You!", that's why. >

The US has this asinine policy of allowing companies to socialize all expenditures and losses while privatizing any gains. We pay for the environmental damages companies cause, we bail them out when they go bankrupt, we pay them billions to develop new technologies, infurstructure, and medicines and we demand absolutely nothing in return.  The taxpayers money is given to companies so that they can keep more of the profits and write off their losses. The US government is anti-robinhood, taking from the poor and giving it to the rich. >

Because the system is broken maybe!? 😏 >

U.S spent about 2.5B. This number is very inflated. >

Because ain't nothing or no one that will stop them.
Capitalism for the win. >

Universal. Health. Care.
Whether the system is single payer (my personal preference), like Canada or uk, or a multi payer system, like Germany or some other European nations, where coverage is still guaranteed from birth til death in their laws, we need healthcare for all since decades ago. Break the for profit industry’s greed by any means necessary. >

Welcome to Capitalism, where we subsidize the costs, and privatize the profits! >

It’s easy. Socialize the losses and privatize the profits. EZPZ >

We only modified an existing vaccine that been approved and in use since ~2010. (This is why the FDA was able to approve the vax so fast). A lot of the $30B went to R&D at multiple companies. The rest went to buying and distributing the covid vaccine plus the cost to administer same. >

Can you provide details as to what vaccines were utilizing mRNA prior to 2020? >

People in support of the vaccine shouldn’t call it the jab.  That was a term popularized by the deniers who couldn’t bring themselves to legitimize it by calling it a vaccine because it sounded too medical. >

Vaccines have been called “jabs” for decades and decades, if not longer. It’s not a new term. >

It's been a silly euphemism for decades and decades. >

If Biden can cap insulin he should be able to cap this. The only reason I can see this is because the damn insurance companies are willing to pay for it.
I went to the doctor a week ago and my 15 minute visit, which didn't include any tests whatsoever, was $192. Thankfully Medicare covered it but Medicare and United Healthcare should be telling doctors to fuck off with their insane billing practices. The entire medical industry gets away with so much shit because the insurance industry allows it. >

Whenever I hear the word “jab” I just tune out. Isn’t that word basically what anti vaxxers call it? >

It’s typical British slang for vaccines. >

Roger Roger, my bad >

I mean doesn't this happen with most of our tax dollars? We pay taxes, a huge chunk is handed out to corporations, and those corporations use that money to research and develop stuff to sell back to us. 
It's a massive con. So long as politicians aren't forced to put all their holdings into blind trusts, they will forever allow this kind of bullshit. A few hundred politicians make bank by ripping of hundreds of millions of taxpayers. That's the American way. >

This is a deal. Read another company wants to raise the price 400%. >

Capitalism, baby. That’s why. >

The more you charge per jab, the more you make per jab but the fewer you sell. It's a rather complex function to determine how many have to remain unvaccinated to optimize your profit yield. But it's a well travelled path so of course the computer spits out this amount.
The damage to the public health of this approach? Why would they worry about that? They're a business.
Which is the problem with relying on businesses to provide resources essential to public health. >

Because that’s capitalism, and that is the problem with why it’s not working.
New system please. Only communism, thank you >

Let's just nationalize them then. >

Oh that's easy...late stage capitalism and zero ethical consideration. >

Because capitalism. >

I wonder if it has to due with all that money the pharmaceutical companies donate? Hmmm so strange. It's weird how COVID came along and everyone forgot how incestuous and corrupt pharma and politics are.  People wonder why there was so much vaccine hesitancy.  This is why. I'm not saying the vaccine doesn't work. All though it's efficacy was clearly overstated at the start of the pandemic. I'm just saying. Those people you laugh at for dying after not taking the vaccine.  They weren't exactly suspicious for nothing. There's clearly massive financial motive and ab extremely long history of these companies putting profit before ethical drug making. See Vioxx, opiodes(which kill more than covid), insulin monopolies... It blows my mind how many people wiped all that clean and acted like these companies gave a fuck about anything but making money.  Why can't the world be grey? The way everyone acted like this is a total black and white issue is really sad in terms of humanities global intelligence. >

Republican Capitalism >

This is neo-liberalism. Isn’t it great >

The best part about people referring to inoculation against a deadly pandemic as "the jab" is realizing I never, ever have to take a single word they say seriously ever again >

Because we let them!
The "government" is just a group of corporations parading around as legitimate law. >

The government gave that money to the existing medical and research corporations to fix a problem. And now they’re double-dipping because that’s money nobody is going to miss. It’s not YOUR money, or MY money, it’s OUR money. It should be free or very close to free. 
Medical industry is run by money. Don’t get sick and go to the hospital because then you’ll have a bill that introduces just as much suffering as the illness you had, often times even moreso. 
Healthcare shouldn’t be costly and unregulated to allow for this kind of predatory price gouging when it comes to human health and life-saving or life-altering treatments. 
But this is just one Reddit comment in a sea and at the end of the day isn’t going to change anything. What will is the collective voice demanding free healthcare. We must reward our doctor and nurses with heavy financial compensation, but more than not, those profits go to business execs and other high-up stakeholders. It’s ruining our system. >

Meanwhile, since day 1 of the vaccine many of us have been saying these big pharma companies are incredibly corrupt and we should not trust them (this shit happens all the time), but everyone wants to lump us in as right wingers or anti-vaxxers. It’s straight up fraud people!!! >

Socialize the cost
Privatize the profits >

Freedom >

Trickle down freedom >

Greed. >

Who is still using this stuff? >

It's just the next part of the scam... >

Jokes on them. I’ve had Covid and refuse to get a vaccine >

We know what the problem is. We keep electing Republicans + Feinstein/Pelosi/Schumer/other corporate Democrats >

If you need to ask, you already guessed the answer... >

Who's going to stop the greediest of the greedy? >

Because we live in an oligarchy - we live under corporate rule. Tax dollars pay for the development of new pharma and technology - then government gives it to the Fortune 100 who sell it back to us for hysterical profit. Folk - it's time to organize and reclaim our government. All rise!