经济观察报·2025-09-11 11:16Core Viewpoint - The vaccine industry is experiencing significant challenges, including price wars, vaccine hesitancy, and intense competition, leading to substantial declines in revenue and profits for major companies [4][10][19]. Group 1: Industry Performance - In the first half of 2025, the overall vaccine revenue for Chinese listed companies decreased by 60% year-on-year, with net profits dropping by 113% [4]. - Major companies like Zhifei Biological and Wantai Biological reported their first half-year losses since going public, with net profits declining by 127% and 155% respectively [4][12]. - Only six out of 17 listed vaccine companies achieved profitability, with the highest profit being 1.22 billion yuan from Chengda Biological [4]. Group 2: Price Wars - The price of flu vaccines has significantly dropped, with some prices reaching as low as 5.5 yuan per dose, marking a new low for public flu vaccine prices [7]. - The price competition has extended beyond flu vaccines to include HPV, shingles, and pneumonia vaccines, with prices for HPV vaccines dropping dramatically [8][9]. - Wantai Biological's revenue fell by 38% to 8.44 billion yuan in the first half of 2025, primarily due to aggressive price competition [9]. Group 3: Vaccine Hesitancy - Vaccine hesitancy has become a significant issue, with many individuals expressing doubts about vaccine efficacy, particularly for non-mandatory vaccines like HPV and flu vaccines [13][15]. - The average flu vaccine coverage in China remains below 4%, significantly lower than in developed countries where it is around 50% [15]. - Factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy include dissatisfaction with COVID-19 vaccine outcomes and the spread of misinformation [15]. Group 4: Market Dynamics - The vaccine market is characterized by increasing competition and product homogeneity, leading to a challenging environment for companies [18][19]. - Experts suggest that the current state of the vaccine industry resembles a "deep winter," with potential for consolidation and elimination of weaker players [19]. - The long-term outlook for the vaccine industry remains uncertain, with expectations of a prolonged period of challenges lasting five to ten years [19].