Aid agency Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) has called for pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer to cut the cost of a life-saving vaccine that risks being priced out of national immunisation plans.
In a report comparing vaccine prices around the world, MSF found that domination of the market by a small group of pharmaceutical companies has caused prices to soar, with the cost of a basic vaccine package increasing by 68% in the past 14 years, putting some vaccines out of the reach of some developing countries’ health budgets.
Of particular note was the pneumococcal vaccine, which protects children from pneumonia – the biggest killer of children under five in developing countries. The vaccine accounts for 45% of the total cost of vaccinating a child, and MSF wants the vaccine reduced to $5 per child in poorer countries.
The report said there is a striking lack of data on vaccine prices, leaving countries with limited information to guide them in negotiations with pharmaceutical companies.
We want to know how much the pneumococcal vaccine costs where you live. While some governments fully subsidise the cost of the vaccine, others require payment from parents.
If you know how much it costs to receive the pneumococcal vaccine in your country, let us know in the form below. If you have further supporting information showing the cost of the vaccine, such as website references, photos of receipts or vaccine packaging showing the price, please email copies to development@theguardian.com with “vaccine prices” in the subject line.
