Big-pharma vaccine price hike

Photo: Frolicsomepl/CC

Photo: Frolicsomepl/CC   (Click to enlarge: opens in new window)

Big-pharma bosses can’t be trusted. After many firms taking public money for vaccine development or promising to take “marginal” profits, they are now raising prices. Pfizer have raised vaccine prices by over 25%, and Moderna by more than 10% for their latest EU supply contracts.

The majority of the world’s population is still yet to receive a first dose, those who live in the poorest countries are the least likely to receive a vaccine. Vaccination for profit does not work. The big-pharmaceuticals, vaccine manufacturing and supply must be brought into democratic public ownership as part of an internationally planned socialist vaccination programme to meet the needs of all.

Bankers’ bonanza!

The Covid cap on bank shareholder pay-outs has been lifted. Shareholders at Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest are set to benefit from £22 billion in dividends over the next two years.

While the rest of us suffer, it’s been a good few months for the banks. HSBC has seen its profits more than double to £7.8 billion in the first half of this year. This is the same bank that is midway through a ‘restructuring programme’ to axe 35,000 jobs.

To congratulate themselves for all of this ‘success’ the banks are busy stashing cash for bonus pay-outs. Barclays has just increased its bonus pool from £749 million per year to £1.1 billion. Makes you want to grow up and become a banker!