Dr Nick Coatsworth reacts to Pfizer’s claim most people will need four doses of the Covid vaccine

One of Australia’s top doctors has put Pfizer on alert over their fourth-jab announcement, raising concerns about a very important and overlooked problem.

One of Australia’s top doctors has put Pfizer on alert over their fourth-dose announcement, raising concerns about a very important and overlooked problem.

Australia’s former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth says Pfizer needs to stop talking about more doses of the Covid vaccine and instead use some of the enormous profits the company has made to help tackle a crucial global health issue – pneumococcal disease.

He argues that it’s time the pharmaceutical giant steps in to prevent the deaths of millions of young children from the preventable disease by offering the vaccine at cost price to low income nations.

“Pfizer would do the world a favour if they stopped talking about fourth (Covid) doses,” Dr Coatsworth told news.com.au.

“It’s not their role, it probably borders on irresponsible to be talking about fourth doses when there’s a significant number of people around world who haven’t had the opportunity to get vaccinated.

“It’s also purely designed to generate revenue from wealthy countries worried about fourth doses.”

Earlier, he tweeted to Pfizer: “Hey Pfizer instead of doing press releases about how we all need a 4th dose of Covid 19 vaccine, how about you really surprise us and provide pneumococcal vaccine at cost to all low income nations.

“Be like Astra.”

Hey @pfizer instead of doing press releases about how we all need a 4th dose of COVID 19 vaccine, how about you really surprise us and provide pneumococcal vaccine at cost to all low income nations. Be like Astra. #covid19aus

— Dr. Nick Coatsworth 🇺🇦 (@nick_coatsworth) March 14, 2022

Pneumococcal disease is a name for any infection caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumoniae, or pneumococcusa and is especially serious for young children and older people. It can cause pneumonia, bloodstream infection and meningitis.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that Streptococcus pneumoniae kills more than 300,000 children under 5 years old worldwide every year. Most of these deaths occur in developing countries.

“Pneumococcal disease is a significant killer of children under 5 in low and middle income countries," Dr Coatsworth said.

“For 20 years we’ve had a good vaccine against it, but that vaccine hasn’t been affordable for particularly low income countries.”

He said the amount they pay per dose is $9 however the pharmaceutical companies get subsidies that bring it to around $21 a dose, which is beyond the reach of a lot of low income countries’ vaccination programs.

“So millions of children in low income countries miss out on a vaccine that’s readily available.”

Nick Coatsworth has called on Pfizer to take action on an important issue. Picture: David Gray/Getty Images

“The CEO of Pfizer, Albert Bourla, has come out on two occasions talking about how we need a fourth dose of the Covid vaccine, the CEO of Moderna has done it as well.

“It’s a problem because you don’t listen to the person who’s responsible for shareholder profits if they tell you to take a drug.”

Pfizer is making enormous profits, earning nearly US$37 billion (AUD$51bn) in sales from its Covid-19 vaccine last year and projecting $75bn in sales during 2022.

“Given the huge profit that Pfizer in particular has made from Covid-19 you’d think if they were good corporate citizens they may choose to self subsidise some of their other vaccines for low to middle incomes countries, to provide them at a cost that can actually be afforded. “They don't do that and haven’t done it for 20 years ... It would be a simple and effective action, it would go part of the way to making up for two decades of not doing it, which is around millions of deaths.”

Dr Coatsworth has called on Pfizer to make the Covid vaccine available at cost price to low income countries. Picture: Clement Mahoudeau/AFP

Dr Coatsworth said the pneumococcal vaccine would have an even greater impact for children globally than the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Pneumococcal disease is a bigger problem than Covid.”

He said the company’s actions were quite the contrast to AstraZeneca which had since early in the Covid crisis pledged not to profit from the vaccine as long as it remained a pandemic. While AstraZeneca has recently announced it is moving to a for-profit model for the Covid-19 vaccine it developed with the University of Oxford, the vaccine will continue to be sold at cost for developing nations.

news.com.au has contacted Pfizer for comment.