Pfizer Defends Covid Shot, Says Trump Deserves Nobel Prize
Vaccines have become a political flashpoint in recent years, with pundits questioning widely accepted evidence about their safety and efficacy.
Pfizer Inc. defended the research supporting its Covid vaccine in a statement on its website, in a direct response to a social media post by President Donald Trump over the weekend questioning whether drug companies were withholding information about the shots.
The company is “dedicated to continuing to provide clear, factual data to the public,” Pfizer Chief Executive Officer Albert Bourla said in the statement, adding that data on Pfizer’s Covid shot has been disclosed in more than 600 peer-reviewed publications.
Bourla also praised Trump’s handling of Operation Warp Speed, which shepherded the development of Covid vaccines, saying the effort “would typically be worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, given its significant impact.”
Vaccines have become a political flashpoint in recent years, with pundits questioning widely accepted evidence about their safety and efficacy. The Trump White House has amplified those concerns, particularly after appointing Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal vaccine critic, as the nation’s top health official. The changes have forced vaccine manufacturers to defend their work as they try to hold on to waning public trust in their products.
Under Kennedy, US health officials have dramatically scaled back the number of people who are eligible for Covid vaccines. He ousted the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has appointed vaccine critics to serve on an advisory panel that plays an outsize role in determining who gets shots across the country.
Trump said in his post that while many think Covid vaccines “are a miracle that saved millions of lives,” others disagree. The president added that Pfizer and others were keeping “extraordinary” information about the shots to themselves, and the lack of transparency was destroying the CDC.
Pfizer said it agrees with Trump’s call for transparency. Bourla pointed to a website from the company that has research about its shots, adding Pfizer plans to add more information and studies by the end of the month.
The CEO has said he frequently reminds the president of Warp Speed’s success, telling analysts in April that he believes it was unfair Trump didn’t win a Nobel Prize for his leadership.
Pfizer relied on its Covid vaccine and pill for nearly 20% of annual sales in 2024. The company’s Covid shot revenue is typically skewed toward the fall and winter, meaning dramatic changes to vaccine access could weigh on Pfizer’s business.
