'An Outrage': HHS Chief Azar Refuses to Vow Coronavirus Vaccine Will Be Affordable for All,

[G_j]

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/02/27/outrage-hhs-chief-azar-refuses-vow-coronavirus-vaccine-will-be-affordable-all-not?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=facebook

'An Outrage': HHS Chief Azar Refuses to Vow Coronavirus Vaccine Will Be Affordable for All, Not Just the Rich

"This is what happens when you put a Big Pharma CEO who doubled the price of insulin in charge of regulating Big Pharma."

byJake Johnson, staff writer

Members of Congress and advocacy groups are voicing outrage after Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar—a former pharmaceutical executive—repeatedly refused during House testimony Wednesday to guarantee that any coronavirus vaccine or treatment developed with taxpayer money will be affordable for all in the U.S., not just the rich.

"Under the Trump doctrine, if you are wealthy you can buy a vaccine and not succumb to the sickness," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a Democratic presidential candidate, said in a statement. "If you are poor or working class, you may have to get sick or even die. That is an outrage. That is unacceptable. We need a vaccine that is available to all."

"He's giving Big Pharma a blank check to monopolize them instead."
—Rep. Jan Schakowsky
During testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee Wednesday, Azar was pressed multiple times to vow that vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus will be priced fairly and made affordable for all U.S. households.

"We would want to ensure that we'd work to make it affordable," Azar told Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), "but we can't control that price because we need the private sector to invest."

..more..

[ck4829]

1. That's weird

I thought access to a medicine being rationed and that not everyone would be able to get it would only happen under a SOCIALIST economy.

[Iliyah]

2. I read that . . .

typical WH response and where the fuck are the "Christian" Republicans?

So that's right, when an vaccine is ready it will be only for them and screw everybody else.

[Bengus81]

3. Getting the flu is a "pre-existing condition" everyone is born with.....

Case closed for the Insurance Industrial Complex.................

[Ms. Toad]

20. 1. coronavirus is not the flu. 2. the ACA requires coverage of pre-existing conditions

3. I don't know about you, but I didn't come out of the womb ill with the flu, so no it's not.

More seriously - I don't understand the point you were trying to make.

[duforsure]

4. How long before we find out

Trumps threaten him with replacement if he doesn't do as he says, and lie for him, or be replaced?

[irisblue]

5. A clip of Sec Azar testifying about the virus vaccine

Michael McAuliff (@mmcauliff) Tweeted:
Here's the clip of Azar not assuring Rep. Schakowsky a covid-19 vaccine will be affordable to all. https://t.co/Z8aNd4wLWj

Link to tweet

The whole thread from McAuliff is amazing

[safeinOhio]

6. I'd say he is about

par for a trump course.

[gordianot]

7. That would be the end of the Republican Party.

It might be the end of anyone claiming to be a beneficiary of a vaccine.

[durablend]

8. Why?

40% of the country is a-ok with that. "They can't afford it, fuck them...let them die"

[gordianot]

9. Panic mobs are so reasonable.

Republicans start out with huge deficits of reason.

[rickyhall]

10. Profiting off misery. Totally predictable.

[dlk]

11. Lest we forget, The "R" stands for rich

Republicans are only interested in amassing their own personal wealth, even at the detriment of the majority of Americans. They are only concerned about rich, white males. Everyone else can get in line. Profits before people, first, last and always. They don’t believe in democracy and it shows.

[GusBob]

12. So how much is it gonna cost?

It would be nice to know a ballpark figure in this discussion

[durablend]

13. "How much you got?"

[33taw]

14. If this is tax payer funded, why can't it be price controlled?

[Ilsa]

15. That is a horrendously bad health policy that

will result in 1%-ers dying, also. As much herd immunity is needed. COVID won't be checking credit ratings, bank balances, or how religious its victims are.

[theaocp]

16. I read one horrifying way to deal with this:

find a rich conservative, cough on them, and wait for the results.

[Wounded Bear]

17. "If you can't afford to pay for it, why would we want to save you?"

Welcome to the American Healthcare Industry.

[dalton99a]

18. Kick

[MontanaMama]

19. Plan on paying to be tested as well.

If you can’t afford the test, then you sure as hell own get the vaccine either.

[MagickMuffin]

21. "that any coronavirus vaccine or treatment developed with taxpayer money will be affordable for all"

If they use taxpayers money to fund the project then it should be affordable for ALL.

Not sure if anyone has done any research on Big Phrama and how much money that they receive from our taxes. I have and it is in the billions. I definitely think we should be getting discounts on taxpayer assisted programs.

Just a small sample. My favorite site for research, however, they've gone dark and not sure if anyone else has replaced them.

https://www.fedspending.org/

$2,777,217.00 awarded to CELLPHIRE, INC.


DUNS: 614153570 | NAICS: 424210

Agency: OFFICE OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE | Location: ROCKVILLE, MD


$1,383,303.25 awarded to DMS PHARMACEUTICAL GROUP INC..


DUNS: 883533879 | NAICS: 424210

Agency: DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY | Location: PARK RIDGE, IL


$2,051,088.00 awarded to AMERISOURCEBERGEN DRUG CORPORATION.


DUNS: 007914906 | NAICS: 424210

Agency: DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY | Location: CHESTERBROOK, PA


$1,531,794.72 awarded to AMERISOURCEBERGEN DRUG CORPORATION.


DUNS: 007914906 | NAICS: 424210

Agency: DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY | Location: CHESTERBROOK, PA


$1,001,250.00 awarded to DMS PHARMACEUTICAL GROUP INC..


DUNS: 883533879 | NAICS: 424210

Agency: DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY | Location: PARK RIDGE, IL


$1,001,250.00 awarded to DMS PHARMACEUTICAL GROUP INC..


DUNS: 883533879 | NAICS: 424210

Agency: DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY | Location: PARK RIDGE, IL


$1,435,100.00 awarded to DMS PHARMACEUTICAL GROUP INC..


DUNS: 883533879 | NAICS: 424210

Agency: DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY | Location: PARK RIDGE, IL


$1,134,096.00 awarded to AMERISOURCEBERGEN DRUG CORPORATION.


DUNS: 007914906 | NAICS: 424210

Agency: DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY | Location: CHESTERBROOK, PA


$1,134,096.00 awarded to AMERISOURCEBERGEN DRUG CORPORATION.


DUNS: 007914906 | NAICS: 424210

Agency: DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY | Location: CHESTERBROOK, PA

[G_j]

22. Wow!

[Hermit-The-Prog]

23. It's not called welfare if it's going to Republican campaign donors.

GOPers don't get outraged over their own grifting.