Thought of the Day - July 5 2021 - Vaccine Wars, the Next Campaign

It has been over a month since I did a vaccine wars update but it is time once again.

As we have seen, western pharma companies have been taking a step-by-step approach in the introduction of COVID vaccines. First ensuring they had research funding and forward contracts in place for a COVID vaccine. Second was the work defining what the vaccine should/could do, developing such a vaccine and completing associated clinical trials in a timely manner, along with lobbying for the emergency approval framework. Step 3 was to stop the use of vaccines from foreign powers in their home markets, work hard to discourage those promoting "at cost" production and downplay alternatives like low-cost therapeutics (you may have heard the EU has declared it has not "approved" the AstraZeneca vaccine made under license in India known as CoviShield - which has been provided to a quarter of a million Canadians).

But now with the vaccine demand in their home markets starting to wane and pharma companies coming under pressure to supply less lucrative developing-world countries, we are at the tipping point for Step 4.

Most companies aspire that their customers adopt the "you will own nothing and be happy" model that came to the fore at the World Economic Forum Davos convention. Pharma companies are no different, they have much less interest in "curing" a disease, than "treating the symptoms" on an ongoing basis. While they would not phrase it this way, they want "to own your health". Repeat vaccines, such as those for the flu, are far more lucrative than one-time shots, such as the measles, not just because there is repeat business but developments can make sure that patents do not expire.

This means we will soon be seeing new "next step" messaging concerning the COVID-vaccines as Pharma companies ready their "booster" shots. The ongoing worry of new strains is an ideal platform on which to build. Messaging that used to say current vaccines are still effective against all strains will be replaced with diminishing numbers. Multi-year contracts will be signed with governments to ensure revenue streams (here Canada is leading the charge - Thought of the Day - June 7 2021 - Which Vaccine to Choose ). Governments will be lobbied for "full approval" of their vaccine before Emergency Orders are lifted. Even terms such as "fully vaccinated" will need to be replaced.

In short, the objective is to get you thinking: twice is not enough.

Cheers

Cliff