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The $100M/vaccine price is stupid, but I would easily pay $1000 to get the vaccine early and raise money for factories. With just 20M doses it would mean $10B i

The $100M/vaccine price is stupid, but I would easily pay $1000 to get the vaccine early and raise money for factories. With just 20M doses it would mean $10B income for Moderna.

s1artibartfast 6y ago
As far as I know, there isn’t any real need for more factory investment. Have you heard otherwise?
- xiphias2 6y ago
  I read that about 1-2 billion vaccines will be created next year. That's nothing for 8 billion people.
  - s1artibartfast 6y ago
    First, The world population is 7.5 billion. Second, are manufacturers interested in filling that 6 billion gap? They can already afford to build the infrastructure and make more vaccines, but it doesn’t do any good if there is nobody to buy them and no way to get them to patients.
wegs 6y ago
If the federal government acted like a scalper, I wouldn't feel bad about it. Open auction, with price going as high as it wants, right down to zero. Special categories (e.g. multiple co-morbidities, medical workers) cut to the front, and pay market rate. Let businesses foot much of the bill. If I need to pay $1000 to reopen my factory, it might be a good investment. Free market will allocate resources.
- xur17 6y ago
  That, or allot some small percentage (5%) for people to bid on to jump the line. Open auction as you described, possibly with a minimum.
- ForHackernews 6y ago
  Yeah, but it's much cheaper to re-open your factory without vaccinating your workers and just threaten to fire anyone who has health concerns. That's how most places have been operating so far. For extra credit: https://www.tpr.org/business/2020-12-17/tyson-foods-fires-7-plant-managers-over-betting-ring-on-workers-getting-covid-19 https://www.tpr.org/business/2020-12-17/tyson-foods-fires-7-...
superkuh 6y ago
In paragraphs 8 and 9 the plan proposed includes descending tiers of priority/price down to about $25k.
mmcconnell1618 6y ago
The prices suggested in this article are too high, even for the super rich. They have other forms of influence. They might have a golf buddy who knows the CEO of a pharma company who can get a few doses off the line for friends. But, offering the middle/upper income class a $1000 chance to jump ahead could generate just as much money with a much larger population getting protection.
- xiphias2 6y ago
  You’re right, in the current system political connections matter, not money. People don’t like capitalism, but basically politicians get the good stuff, and provide nothing in return to the companies.

The $100M/vaccine price is stupid, but I would easily pay $1000 to get the vaccine early and raise money for factories. With just 20M doses it would mean $10B income for Moderna.

s1artibartfast 6y ago

As far as I know, there isn’t any real need for more factory investment. Have you heard otherwise?

xiphias2 6y ago
I read that about 1-2 billion vaccines will be created next year. That's nothing for 8 billion people.
- s1artibartfast 6y ago
  First, The world population is 7.5 billion. Second, are manufacturers interested in filling that 6 billion gap? They can already afford to build the infrastructure and make more vaccines, but it doesn’t do any good if there is nobody to buy them and no way to get them to patients.

wegs 6y ago

If the federal government acted like a scalper, I wouldn't feel bad about it. Open auction, with price going as high as it wants, right down to zero. Special categories (e.g. multiple co-morbidities, medical workers) cut to the front, and pay market rate. Let businesses foot much of the bill. If I need to pay $1000 to reopen my factory, it might be a good investment. Free market will allocate resources.

xur17 6y ago
That, or allot some small percentage (5%) for people to bid on to jump the line. Open auction as you described, possibly with a minimum.
ForHackernews 6y ago
Yeah, but it's much cheaper to re-open your factory without vaccinating your workers and just threaten to fire anyone who has health concerns. That's how most places have been operating so far. For extra credit: https://www.tpr.org/business/2020-12-17/tyson-foods-fires-7-plant-managers-over-betting-ring-on-workers-getting-covid-19 https://www.tpr.org/business/2020-12-17/tyson-foods-fires-7-...

superkuh 6y ago

In paragraphs 8 and 9 the plan proposed includes descending tiers of priority/price down to about $25k.

mmcconnell1618 6y ago

The prices suggested in this article are too high, even for the super rich. They have other forms of influence. They might have a golf buddy who knows the CEO of a pharma company who can get a few doses off the line for friends. But, offering the middle/upper income class a $1000 chance to jump ahead could generate just as much money with a much larger population getting protection.

xiphias2 6y ago
You’re right, in the current system political connections matter, not money. People don’t like capitalism, but basically politicians get the good stuff, and provide nothing in return to the companies.