Pfizer, BioNTech make huge pledge to address Covid vaccine inequality

The pledge could significantly address the unequal distribution across the world of Covid-19 vaccines, which have so far been sold disproportionately more to richer countries.

Pfizer and BioNTech pledged on Friday to deliver 1 billion doses of their Covid-19 vaccine to poorer nations this year and another 1 billion next year, the boss of Pfizer said.

Bourla said that low-income countries would be offered the vaccines at cost, while middle-income nations would pay about half the price of wealthier nations, which are estimated to have paid around 20 dollars per dose. (REUTERS)

The pledge could significantly address the unequal distribution across the world of Covid-19 vaccines, which have so far been sold disproportionately more to richer countries.

"Pfizer and BioNTech are pledging to provide 2 billion doses of our Covid-19 vaccines to middle- and low-income countries over the next 18 months," Albert Bourla told a global health summit.

Bourla said that low-income countries would be offered the vaccines at cost, while middle-income nations would pay about half the price of wealthier nations, which are estimated to have paid around 20 dollars per dose.

"We expect to provide 1 billion of these doses to low- and middle-income countries this year. And we pledge to deliver another 1 billion doses to these countries in 2022," Bourla said.