Covid vaccines to cost UK $15.7bn

Bloomberg

The UK will spend as much as 11.7 billion pounds ($15.7 billion) on purchasing, manufacturing and roll-out of coronavirus vaccines, according to estimates from the public spending watchdog.
The National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report the cost includes UK investment in global efforts to find a vaccine — but not the potential future expense of any multiyear vaccination programs. It also said the figure is likely to change as the government better understands the vaccines and what is needed to make and use them.
There may also be extra costs in future because the contracts each contain some form of “indemnity protection” for the pharmaceutical firms in case of legal action arising from any adverse effects from the vaccines, it said.
The UK has signed deals for five vaccines providing up to 267 million doses — from AstraZeneca Plc/Oxford University, Valneva SE, Pfizer Inc./BioNTech SE, Novavax Inc., and Moderna Inc. It also has non-binding agreements in place for a further 90 million doses — from GlaxoSmithKline Plc/Sanofi and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen unit, the NAO said.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is being rolled out across the UK after it was approved by the medicines regulator.
“With one vaccine now approved for use and its roll-out started, significant challenges remain,” NAO head Gareth Davies said. “Efficient delivery to UK population presents complex logistical challenges and requires excellent communication with the public.”