Pfizer’s Vaccine Payday Ends as Public Realizes the COVID Jab Wasn’t Necessary

Pfizer’s fall COVID-19 vaccine rollout is off to a slow start, with U.S. sales of its Comirnaty shots dropping 25% after federal regulators tightened recommendations on who should receive them.

The company said Tuesday that sales were also affected by the delayed approval of updated vaccines, which came several weeks later than in previous years.

Many Americans typically get vaccinated in the fall to prepare for potential winter surges. However, interest in COVID-19 shots has been steadily declining, a trend that experts say could accelerate this year amid growing skepticism about the vaccines and uncertainty over their necessity.

Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ended its universal recommendation for COVID-19 vaccination. Instead, the agency left the decision up to individuals and their doctors, adopting guidance from advisers appointed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Until this year, U.S. health officials had urged annual COVID-19 boosters for nearly all Americans six months and older, updating protection as the virus evolved. That policy began to shift after Kennedy questioned the safety of widespread vaccination and said the shots were no longer recommended for healthy children or pregnant women.

Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, said vaccination rates have already been “suboptimal” among high-risk groups. “That’s only going to fall off more this season,” he said.

The new guidance also led to confusion when updated shots arrived in pharmacies in September. Some stores initially required prescriptions or asked customers to confirm health conditions that put them at higher risk for severe illness.

The policy change raised questions about insurance coverage, but the industry group America’s Health Insurance Plans has since clarified that its members will continue to cover COVID-19 vaccinations. CVS Health announced it would not require prescriptions at its pharmacies or clinics.

Pharmacist Theresa Tolle, who owns Bay Street Pharmacy in Sebastian, Florida, said the season has been one of the most confusing she’s seen. Her pharmacy, which serves an older population, remains busy with vaccinations, but more customers this year are opting out.
“There’s just so many messages out there, they don’t know who to believe,” Tolle said. “I’ve had people tell me they’re afraid of it, even though they’ve had it many times.”

Pfizer reported that U.S. sales of Comirnaty fell to $870 million in the third quarter, down from $1.16 billion a year earlier. That decline followed modest gains in the first half of 2025.

The company also said global sales of its COVID-19 antiviral treatment, Paxlovid, fell more than 50% as infection rates decreased worldwide.

Analysts expect Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine sales to drop by about half in the same quarter, according to data from FactSet. Moderna is scheduled to release its third-quarter results on Thursday.

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