CDC Awards Pfizer $1.24 Billion for COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Amid Medicare Data Showing Increased Case Fatality Rate

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded Pfizer Inc. contracts totaling approximately $1.24 billion for additional COVID-19 vaccine doses, according to federal procurement records published this June.

The contracts, issued June 1 through the CDC Office of Acquisition Services, include about $735.7 million for pediatric COVID-19 vaccines and nearly $505.3 million for adult doses for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, as reported by The Defender [1].

The awards came shortly after the Trump administration took office, and the contracts are among the largest single vaccine purchase agreements since the start of the pandemic.

The New American reported that the contracts cover pediatric and adult doses for fiscal years 2026 and 2027, adding that the procurement has drawn sharp scrutiny from groups aligned with the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, who had hoped the administration would take a more critical stance toward COVID-19 vaccine policy [2].

Medicare Nursing Home Data Shows Rising Case Fatality Rates After Vaccine Rollout

The new contracts come as Medicare data from nursing homes indicates that the COVID-19 vaccines were associated with an increased case fatality rate among residents, according to an analysis by author Steve Kirsch published on his Substack. Kirsch used official Medicare data that was previously available on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website, calculating that the geometric mean case fatality rate (CFR) ratio rose above the December 2020 baseline after vaccinations began [11].

By April 2021, the CFR ratio reached 1.54 times the December baseline, with a 95% confidence interval of 1.33 to 1.80, indicating a statistically significant increase. The analysis controlled for each state’s baseline and used a smooth 8-week series.

Kirsch stated that the data is “consistent with a vaccine that simply did not work and made things worse.” He noted that the CMS nursing home data was later removed from the Medicare website, though he preserved a copy on GitHub. The reasons for the data removal were not provided [11].

Pfizer Contract Details and Previous Agreements

The $1.24 billion contract is the latest in a series of agreements between the U.S. government and Pfizer for COVID-19 vaccines. According to The New American, the contracts were awarded despite questions about vaccine effectiveness raised by independent researchers and declining public demand for booster doses [2].

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. later said that the assumption that these contracts are being paid out is “simply wrong,” though the controversy highlighted ongoing debate over the government’s vaccine procurement strategy [3].

Officials at the CDC did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Medicare data or the rationale for the new contract.

The awards also come amid a broader erosion of trust in health agencies, with CDC data showing that only 15.3% of acute hospital workers and 10.5% of nursing home personnel received a COVID-19 vaccine during the 2023-24 season, down from previous years [4].

Additional Context: Vaccine Efficacy and Population-Level Data

Kirsch also cited wastewater surveillance data from Israel showing that COVID-19 cases increased by approximately 10 times after the vaccine rollout, based on a slide from Israel’s national wastewater monitoring program. He noted that Israel, one of the most vaccinated nations, had the highest per capita case rates for Delta and Omicron variants globally, contradicting expectations that the vaccine reduced infections.

Other research has documented that vaccine protection wanes over time and is less effective against variants, as the CDC itself acknowledged in August 2021 [5].

Additionally, the CDC and FDA announced in January 2023 that people ages 65 and older who received Pfizer’s updated booster shot may be at increased risk of stroke [6]. These findings, combined with reports of breakthrough infections in nursing homes after vaccination, have led some experts to question the overall benefit of the vaccine program for certain populations [7].

Conclusion: Ongoing Government Investment in Vaccines

The new Pfizer contracts represent continued government investment in COVID-19 vaccines despite questions raised by Medicare data and international surveillance about their effectiveness. Kirsch described the situation as “baffling,” noting that vaccine-injured individuals receive no compensation while Pfizer receives billions.

The CDC has not publicly addressed the discrepancy between its own data and its continued purchases.

As legal actions against Pfizer mount, including a lawsuit by Kansas alleging the company misled the public about vaccine safety and efficacy, the federal government’s decision to commit another $1.24 billion to the same manufacturer has intensified calls for transparency and accountability [8].

References

1. 100percentfedup.com. “Vaccine Manufacturer Receives Over $1.2 Billion For Pediatric And Adult COVID-19 Jabs, Report Says.” June 16, 2026.
2. The New American. “CDC Awards Pfizer $1.24 Billion for Updated Covid Vaccines.” June 15, 2026.
3. ChildrensHealthDefense.org. “HHS Says No Decision on COVID Vaccine Deal With Pfizer, But Questions Persist About $1.24 Billion Contracts.” June 23, 2026.
4. ChildrensHealthDefense.org. “Healthcare Workers Reject COVID, Flu Shots Amid ‘Tremendous Erosion of Trust’ in Health Agencies.”
5. ChildrensHealthDefense.org. “CDC Studies Show Vaccine Protection Wanes Over Time and Is Less Effective Against Delta Variant.” August 19, 2021.
6. NaturalNews.com. “Stroke Risk With Pfizer Shot Announced.” January 31, 2023.
7. ChildrensHealthDefense.org. “Nursing Homes Report COVID Infections in Full.”
8. ChildrensHealthDefense.org. “Kansas Sues Pfizer Over Misleading COVID Vaccine Safety and Efficacy Claims.”
9. Robert F Kennedy Jr. “The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health.”
10. Unknown. “Trends-Journal-2022-02-06.”
11. Mike Adams interview with Dr Makis. November 20, 2024.
12. KirschSubstack.com. “CDC just gave Pfizer $1.24 Billion in contracts for more doses of the COVID vaccine despite their own Medicare evidence that it makes people more likely to die from COVID”. June 19, 2026.
13. ChildrensHealthDefense.org. “CDC Awards Pfizer $1.24 Billion for COVID Vaccines for Kids and Adults”. June 12, 2026.