Less-threatening Omicron lowers Covid-19 vaccine sales estimate

Evidence that omicron causes less-severe disease than earlier Covid-19 variants will likely blunt growth in vaccine sales this year as wealthier countries rein in purchases, according to Airfinity.

Sales of Covid-19 vaccines, excluding those from China and India, will increase to about $85 billion in 2022, down about 28 per cent from an earlier estimate of $118 billion, London-based Airfinity said Friday. The revision was also due to lower prices paid by poorer nations that are finally obtaining shots, the analytics firm said.

Omicron has spread rapidly but appears less likely to cause hospitalisations and deaths than predecessors such as delta, which the new variant displaced in just weeks. While health experts warn that the global crisis isn’t over and  risks remain, optimism for a pandemic reprieve is likely to limit richer countries’ vaccine purchases, Airfinity said in a statement.