Back in October 2021 the Daily Mail reported that Pfizer has secret government contracts for Covid vaccines.[1]
Public Citizen a group that promotes consumer rights has accessed a number of leaked and unredacted contracts between Pfizer and both domestic and international governments. For its Covid-19 vaccine Pfizer reportedly has 73 formalized deals but only five have been officially publicized with redactions. Seven unredacted contracts worth more than $5 billion were examined by Public Citizen. Additionally the group asserts that Pfizer used its position of influence to “transfer risk and maximize profits” in their covert government contracts by opposing gifts of the vaccine contesting intellectual property waivers making choices on its own and more.
A report from a consumer rights advocacy group claims that Pfizer the maker of the COVID vaccine has hidden government contracts and has abused its position to “transfer risk and maximize profits.”
Public Citizen discovered that although Pfizer has 73 legal agreements for its COVID-19 vaccine only five have been officially disclosed by countries and contain “substantial redactions.”
The seven contracts that Public Citizen is aware of are valued at more than $5 billion.
The advocacy group asserts that the contracts with the Manhattan-based pharmaceutical company “consistently place Pfizer’s interests before public health imperatives” after gaining access to many leaked unredacted contracts.
The study charges Pfizer with having “unilateral authority for other decisions ” resisting an intellectual property waiver that would have permitted the sharing of technology including gifts of its own doses and more.
With 3.5 billion doses sold Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine has grown to be the most widely used in the entire globe. It was the first to get emergency use authorisation in the United States.
According to experts its sales will treble in 2022 according to the Washington Post.[2]
It is unclear how much each agreement will cost in total because information in numerous contracts is still redacted.
The specifics and requirements set forth in various contracts are likewise kept a secret. According to experts others are at risk because of secret contracts.
According to Tom Wright research manager at the Transparency International Health Program “Hiding contracts from public view or publishing documents filled with redacted text means we don’t know how or when vaccines will arrive what happens if things go wrong or the level of financial risk buyers are absorbing.”
Pfizer’s contracts with the US UK Albania Brazil Colombia Chile the Dominican Republic the European Commission and Peru were made available to Public Citizen.
In the midst of the worst public health crisis in a century the contracts according to the group’s study “provide a unique view into the power one pharmaceutical business has gained to quiet governments limit supplies shift risk and maximize profits.”
Contract specialists assert that Pfizer uses ‘unfair and abusive’ contractual terms in agreements that give them the power to silence governments. These experts are said to have examined the leaked documents.
Certain agreements including one between Pfizer and Brazil forbid the government from commenting on its relationship with Pfizer or making “any public declaration revealing the existence subject matter or terms of [the] Agreement” without the company’s prior written authorization.
The US and European contracts use language that is similar but the terms apply to both parties. Additionally the group charges Pfizer with regulating the flow of its vaccine.
According to Public Citizen the Brazilian government is unable to accept vaccine donations from other nations on behalf of Pfizer or make purchases from third parties without Pfizer’s consent. Furthermore without Pfizer’s approval the nation is not allowed to donate distribute export or otherwise move the vaccine outside of Brazil.
According to the research Pfizer has the authority to use anyone’s intellectual property in at least four contracts with consequences.
Considering that Malta was allowed to donate tens of thousands of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine doses to Libya but not those of Pfizer [3]can our government inform us what kind of contract did it sign with Pfizer behind our back?
[1]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10111521/Pfizer-secret-government-contracts-COVID-vaccines.html
[2]https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/10/19/secret-vaccine-contracts-with-governments-pfizer-took-hard-line-push-profit-report-says/
[3]https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2021/aug/18/malta-donates-tens-of-thousands-of-covid-vaccine-doses-to-libya-2346527.html