Vaccine prices have gone up over the years, in large part because of newer vaccines that command higher prices. Low prices are implicated in vaccine shortages, just as they are for other injectable drugs delivered in hospitals and doctors’ offices. According to the Duke study, vaccines with lower prices were more likely to be in short supply than those with higher prices. Low prices and concentrated buying power in government programs have pushed redundancy out of the market. In fact, the price of childhood vaccines may be too low for our own good because it contributes to shortages.

Source: New York Times June 27, 2016 12:45 UTC