Janine Small, a senior executive at pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, has claimed the company didn’t know whether the vaccine prevented transmission of covid-19 before it was rolled out globally, news.com.au reports.
Small made the comments during her testimony at the European Union Parliament this week while being questioned by Netherlands MEP Rob Roos.
Here’s everything you need to know about the reports.
Pfizer vaccine not tested for transmission due to ‘speed of science’
Pfizer senior executive Janine Small revealed the vaccine was not tested for transmission before it entered the market due to the speed other drug companies were developing their products.
Speaking at the EU parliament, Rob Roos asked Ms Small: “Was the Pfizer covid vaccine tested on stopping the transmission of the virus before it entered the market?
“If not, please say it clearly. If yes, are you willing to share the data with this committee? I really want a straight answer, yes or no, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Small replied: “Regarding the question around did we know about stopping the immunization before it entered the market? No.
“We had to move at the speed of science to really understand what was taking place in the market. And from that point of view we had to do everything at risk. I think Dr [Pfizer chief executive Albert] Bourla, even though he’s not here, would turn around and say to you himself, ‘If not us then who?’”
Roos shared Pfizer executive’s response on Twitter
Roos shared Small’s response on his official Twitter profile, saying the “world needs to know” and urging others to repost the video. The video had amassed 8.9 million views and more than 100,000 retweets and likes at the time of publication.
Roos states in the video: “Millions of people worldwide felt forced to get vaccinated because of the myth ‘you do it for others.’”
HITC has reached out to Pfizer for comment.
Watch Roos’ video below:
Chief executive Dr Bourla addresses vaccine
In January 2022, Pfizer chief executive Dr Albert Bourla admitted two doses of the company’s covid vaccine provided “limited protection” to the omicron variant, as per news.com.au.
“We know the two doses of the vaccine offer very limited protection, if any,” Dr Bourla said at the time.
“The three doses with a booster, they offer reasonable protection against hospitalization and deaths – against deaths, I think, very good, and less protection against infection.
“Now we are working on a new version of our vaccine, the 1.1, let me put it that way, that will cover omicron as well.”