
According to an analytics firm, Airfinity Ltd, evidence that omicron causes less-severe disease than earlier COVID-19 variants is expected to lower the growth in vaccine sales this year.
- Citing Airfinity, Bloomberg reports that COVID-19 vaccine sales, excluding China and India, will increase to about $85 billion in 2022, down about 28% from an earlier estimate of $118 billion.
 - The analytics firm said that the revision was also due to lower prices paid by poorer nations for the shots.
 - Related: Federal Health Officials Say Omicron-Targeted Shots May Not Be Necessary: WSJ.
 - Demand for doses is still rising, and booster programs in high-income countries will be a key driver, according to Airfinity, which estimates that sales will climb almost 30% in 2022 from about $66 billion last year.
 - Moderna Inc (NASDAQ:MRNA) could record about $26 billion in sales in 2022, while Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE) and its partner BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) may clock about $43 billion.
 - AstraZeneca Plc (NASDAQ:AZN) is expected to generate $4.3 billion in vaccine revenue.
 - The firm's estimates differ from that of the drugmakers themselves.
 - Pfizer has forecast $31 billion in 2022 COVID-19 vaccine sales.
 - Prelim COVID-19 vaccine sales for Moderna stand at $18.5 billion, along with a potential $3.5 billion from boosters and other purchases.
 - Price Action during the premarket session on the last check Friday:
	
- MRNA stock is down 1.27% at $165.40
 - PFE shares are down 0.30% at $53.89
 - BNTX stock is down 2.15% at $153.16
 - AZN shares are down 0.48% at $59.88