In what proved to be a rare occasion, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was peppered with a series of stinging questions in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic — which is not to say that he answered any of them.
Somewhat fittingly, Bourla was in Davos for the World Economic Forum and he was confronted on Wednesday by two journalists from Canada-based Rebel News.
“Mr. Bourla, can I ask you – when did you know the vaccines did not stop transmission? How long did you know that before saying it publicly?” asked journalist Ezra Levant.
“You said it was 100% effective, then 90%, then 80%, then 70%, but we now know that the vaccines do not stop transmission. Why do you keep that secret?” Levant asked in a follow-up.
The Pfizer CEO ignored the reporter’s questions, only replying to say “thank you” and to tell Levant to have a nice day.
Levant persisted with no luck, while Rebel News colleague Avi Yemini asked Bourla, “Is it time to apologize to the world, sir? To give refunds to the countries that borrowed their money into a vaccine that doesn’t work. An ineffective vaccine.”
“Are you not ashamed of what you’ve done in the last couple of years?”
Albert Bourla, the CEO of Pfizer, has never had an unscripted media interview in his life.
Until today.
We asked him 29 questions.
And he could answer none of them. pic.twitter.com/MM3nbWVIPg
— Ezra Levant (@ezralevant) January 18, 2023
One thing is certain, the pandemic has been a boon for both Pfizer and Bourla himself, with the Daily Mail reporting that the CEO “personally earned $50 million in compensation across 2021 and 2022 and the company’s revenue tripled to more than $100 billion since 2019.”
The British tabloid reported in November that the company “reaped about $80 billion in yearly revenue from sales of Covid vaccines and the antiviral drug Paxlovid,” and that Pfizer announced it will triple the price for a jab to $130 per dose — up from roughly $19 to $30 per dose that governments paid.
“Some experts estimate each individual shot to cost just $1.18 to make — meaning the new price represents a 10,000 percent markup,” the Daily Mail reported. “Analysts speculate that the move was made so Pfizer could still meet its target of $32 billion of projected vaccine revenue this year.”
Pfizer CFO David Denton cited the Covid vaccine in November, saying it would be “quite relevant for many years to come.”
“I think if you look out longer term, the franchise is going to be a multibillion-dollar franchise in the respect that this is going to be somewhat like a flu, sustained flu, but actually more deadly than the flu,” Denton said. “I think the products, both from a vaccine and the therapy perspective that Pfizer has developed, are going to be quite relevant for many years to come.”
The Rebel News reporters concluded their interaction with Bourla, who had reached his destination, by calling out, “Shame on you, sir!”
“We’re not accredited media here. We’re on the outside of the perimeter, so he’s only used to the softballs from CNN, MSNBC and people like that,” Levant noted.
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story from Twitter:
this was brilliant!
— Layah Heilpern (@LayahHeilpern) January 18, 2023
Well done, @ezralevant and @OzraeliAvi. Albert Bourla is a pure coward.
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) January 18, 2023
“When did Pfizer know that the vaccine didn’t prevent transmission?”
Excellent question.
And, let’s maybe stop calling it a Covid “vaccine”, when it’s a “shot” — just like we don’t call the “flu shot” a “flu vaccine”
— Art Jonak (@ArtJonak) January 19, 2023
Pfizer CEO seems to have no trouble answering scripted questions from mainstream media with an approved narrative.
The decerning viewer will note that he is wearing the same Pfizer clothing.pic.twitter.com/ulqJzRmJY2
— Steven_Tyler (@StevenT65674368) January 18, 2023
We need more reporters like Ezra. No one should be afraid to hold these people accountable. Mainstream media in Canada would never dare ask these questions because they are controlled by pharma advertising & Government.
— Ryan Gerritsen (@ryangerritsen) January 18, 2023
This is one of your best interviews, Ezra. You captured the true character of a big pharma executive and shown us how difficult it is for them to defend what they’ve done to people across the globe.
— Devil’s Child (@CJDanielsFarms) January 18, 2023
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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