Thread by @ThiruGeneva

Biden admin spars with Moderna over international vaccine donations politico.com/news/2021/10/0…

"Vaccine maker Moderna is resisting pressure from the White House to increase international donations of its Covid-19 shot in 2022, according to three people with direct knowledge of the matter."

"The Biden administration has urged Moderna for months to increase its production domestically, in an attempt to help deliver on the president’s pledge to make the U.S. “an arsenal of vaccines” for the world."

"Moderna, which developed its shot with scientific and financial help from the government, has shied away making additional commitments, the two sources said." @kei_kathryn

@kei_kathryn "The company has cited worries about its ability to balance its domestic and international responsibilities."

@kei_kathryn "If Moderna agreed to sell the Biden administration doses for poorer countries it would likely be asked to do so at cost, one source said, putting pressure on its bottom line."

@kei_kathryn "The company’s stance has infuriated top Biden health officials, who have pressed Moderna executives in recent meetings that one person characterized as “very intense.” @peoplesvaccine @jamie_love

@kei_kathryn @peoplesvaccine @jamie_love “We need them to step up to the plate in the short term and dramatically increase the number of doses they’re delivering to low and middle-income countries,” a senior administration official said."

@kei_kathryn @peoplesvaccine @jamie_love "But amid the ongoing tension, the company announced early Thursday that it will build a vaccine-production hub in Africa to produce up to 500 million doses each year. It has not chosen a site or set a timeline for opening the facility, however."

@kei_kathryn @peoplesvaccine @jamie_love "The Biden administration’s strained talks with Moderna stand in stark contrast to its relationship with Pfizer and BioNTech."

@kei_kathryn @peoplesvaccine @jamie_love "In the meantime, Moderna is also facing — and resisting — growing pressure from activists and international organizations to share the formula for its vaccine with manufacturers in other countries."

@kei_kathryn @peoplesvaccine @jamie_love "The Biden administration earlier this year formally backed waiving patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines to expand production worldwide. But that proposal is fiercely opposed by both drug manufacturers and some European countries." @Meds_Alliance