The CDC has awarded Pfizer approximately $1.24 billion for FY2026–2027 COVID-19 vaccines, including roughly $505 million for adults and $735 million for children.
The announcement comes as COVID vaccine uptake continues to fall. According to CDC data, only about 17% of adults and 9% of children received the latest COVID shot.
What makes these contracts especially noteworthy is that they follow growing criticism of the CDC’s handling of vaccine safety monitoring. Critics have pointed to reports alleging that federal officials failed to promptly disclose numerous safety signals identified through government surveillance systems.
Why are public health agencies doubling down with another $1.24 billion to these products when public demand has collapsed, safety signals were ignored and trust in health institutions continues to erode?
