CNBC Asks Pfizer CEO How to Restore Trust in Vaccines When Many ‘Got Sick or Injured’ from Covid Jab

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla refused to admit severe Covid vaccine injuries have contributed to vaccine hesitancy and lower vaccination rates.

Appearing Monday on CNBC, Bourla was asked how the pharmaceutical industry regains the confidence of the public when nearly everyone knows someone who got sick or injured after receiving a COVID jab.

“According to the CDC, you’ve got about 21% of the people who have taken the updated COVID vaccine, about 9% saying they’re definitely going to get it. How do we reinvigorate, for lack of a better term, confidence in vaccines generally?” a CNBC anchor asked Bourla amid a discussion on potential vaccine policy under the incoming Trump administration.

“Because we’re seeing some of the COVID vaccine concerns spill over now into other vaccines,” the CNBC contributor continued. “How do we regain people’s confidence in vaccines generally when, let’s be honest, a lot of people know people that had COVID, got a vaccine, either still got sick, or got injured?”

Bourla deflected the anchor’s question, instead claiming vaccination rates are down because the public believes COVID is under control.

“You’re right. The fact that we had low vaccination rates in the U.S. is going to contribute to probably having a little bit more COVID and more severe symptoms as the population immunity [is waning],” Bourla responded, sidestepping the actual question.

The Pfizer CEO went on to say the reason the vaccines are viewed as ineffective is because people aren’t taking enough of them, before going on to promote Pfizer’s Paxlovid oral COVID treatment, suggesting this has also contributed to declining vaccination rates.

“I don’t think that people are not getting right now…We have a reduction in the vaccination rates because they have concerns with the COVID vaccine. There is a population that has concerns with COVID vaccine — they never got the vaccine.”

“But the vast majority – who they got the vaccine – it’s just that they don’t feel compelled to do it because they don’t feel the need because of course we have controlled COVID so far, and because also there is an oral treatment and so right now we have even higher [prescriptions] and utilization of Paxlovid which is our rollout treatment because every time that someone has COVID it’s very highly correlated with how many [prescriptions] you have.”