Molson Hart

Or the military - force readiness issues

As I understand it, if a vaccine is developed, it will belong to a company that took big risk to develop it. Excepting antitrust, they ought to be able to choose how it's distributed. The US military can buy it like everyone else.

I don’t disagree, although in reality, I see it probably working out a bit differently. It’s likely that in exchange for the fast tracking the government is enabling, the first few hundred thousand doses will be sold to the US gov’t - nat sec issues.

Should companies really be indebted for government allowing them to develop and test a vaccine?

Of course not. I’m not making a value judgment here; simply observing.

I agree that govt will do what you are predicting.

IMO vaccine development by these companies isn’t driven from a profit motive. In this case I think it’s 1) a good PR look for the company and the industry and 2) an opportunity to buy a lot of goodwill with govt regulators.

I don’t know a ton about the economics but I’m inclined to agree. Good points. Flip side is first company to make a vaccine absent govt interference will make a killing...if we ever get a vaccine