AstraZeneca vs Pfizer vs Johnson & Johnson: Which vaccine is cheapest?

The African Union (AU) has secured 270 million vaccine doses for countries across the continent. After negotiating with three major providers, the organisation will distribute jabs from AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson, starting in March. The procurement will cost between $3 – $10 per dose, racking up a total bill of $1.8 billion.

African Union secures 270 million jabs

It’s estimated that South Africa’s individual vaccine drive will cost roughly R15 billion, or $1 billion. However, controversy surrounds the ANC’s plans for immunisation, as the Treasury is set to implement a tax hike that will cover the costs.

Raiding the fiscus is an unpopular choice, but John Nkengasong – who heads the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – has explained the need for African countries to rapidly get vaccines flowing into their vast populations:

“My thinking is that the vaccines market will open up in the coming months, when for example J&J and others land on the market. For now, what is critical is access to the market, secure quantities, and the need to start vaccinating. We need a way to secure the economy by vaccinating people before we do anything else.”

John Nkengasong

AstraZeneca vs Pfizer vs Johnson & Johnson: What the vaccine costs

AstraZeneca will provide the cheapest option. The cost-effective inoculations are worth $3 – or R44 – for a single dose, and the African Union has secured 100 million of these vaccines. The Pfizer option is priced at $6.75 / R100 per dose, and 50 million of them will be handed out across the continent. However, the new kid on the block is the most expensive choice.

Johnson & Johnson – whose vaccine only requires one shot per person to treat COVID-19 – will sell their product on for $10 per dose. A total of 120 million of these jabs will be rolled out within the next two months…

Vaccine	Price in dollars	Price in rand	Available doses	Total spent
AstraZeneca	$3 per dose	R44	100 million	$300 million / R4.4 billion
Pfizer	$6.75	R100	50 million	$337 million / R5 billion
Johnson & Johnson	$10	R148	120 million	$1.2 billion / 17.7 billion
TOTALS	N/A	N/A	270 million	$1.837 billion / R26.1 billion

• All figures sourced from Reuters