Pfizer exec admits: No data on preventing transmission before vaccine went to market

A Pfizer executive admitted Monday during an EU Parliamentary hearing that the pharmaceutical giant did not have data on the COVID-19 injection’s ability to prevent transmission before going to market. 

Pfizer’s President of International Developed Markets Janine Small was responding to a direct question by MEP Rob Roos in a special COVID-19 committee hearing. 

“I will speak in English so there are no misunderstandings,” the Dutch MEP began his question to 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 this data with the committee?” 

“And I really want a straight answer, ‘yes’ or ‘no’,” Roos added, “and I’m really looking forward to it.” 

The Pfizer executive appeared to respond in the negative, claiming the justification that the company “had to move at the speed of science.” 

“Regarding the question around did we know about stopping immunization before it entered the market? No,” Small chuckled. “Uh, these, um, you know – we had to really move at the speed of science to really understand what is taking place in the market.” 

In a Tuesday video statement regarding Small’s admission, Roos slammed the Dutch government for mandating the COVID-19 vaccine. 

“’If you don’t get vaccinated, you’re anti-social,’” began Roos. “This is what the Dutch prime minister and health minister told us. ‘You don’t get vaccinated just for yourself, but also for others. You do it for all of society.’ That’s what they said.” 

“Today, this turned out to be complete nonsense,” he continued. “In a COVID hearing in the European Parliament, one of the Pfizer directors just admitted to me [that] at the time of the introduction, the vaccine had never been tested on stopping the transmission of the virus.” 

“This removes the entire legal basis for the COVID passport,” Roos stated emphatically. “The COVID passport that led to massive institutional discrimination as people lost access to essential parts of society. I find this to be shocking, even criminal.” 

“This is scandalous,” Roos concluded. “Millions of people worldwide felt forced to get vaccinated because of the myth that ‘you do it for others.’ Now, this turned out to be a cheap lie. This should be exposed.” 

Roos has been a vocal opponent of COVID mandates and passports, in April calling for the EU to abolish its COVID pass. 

“Now, Omicron is the dominant strain of the virus,” Roos said. “To most people, it’s not dangerous anymore. The vaccine doesn’t stop the spread.  

“Science shows that the QR system does not come with any health benefits anymore, while undermining fundamental rights.  

“This is the moment to abolish the COVID pass once and for all. But the European Commission wants to extend it at least until June 2023. An extremely bad idea.” 

Later, Roos also slammed digital IDs in general, a pet project of the EU government spurred on by the World Economic Forum. 

“We are worried about the risk that engaging in all sorts of everyday activities will soon not be possible without this Digital ID Wallet anymore,” warned MEP Rob Roos in an interview. “We also saw it with the COVID passport, which was mandatory to get access to important parts of society, too. With the Digital Identity Wallet, we fear this will be the future as well.”  

Like the COVID-19 passports introduced in some countries, which demanded citizens’ private medical information in exchange for access to basic services, Roos worries that the government and corporations can simply strongarm private citizens into providing any information.  

“You can compare it with cookies on the internet: websites often only function to their full extent if you allow all cookies, including the ones that are non-essential,” continued Roos. “And this is what government and big corporations will do, too: they will ask for more information than they are currently allowed to. This hollows out our privacy and it makes citizens powerless against the government and big corporations.” 

In 2020, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the project to create a bloc-wide digital ID “that we trust and that any citizen can use anywhere in Europe to do anything from paying your taxes to renting a bicycle,” she said.  

European Commission Executive Vice President for Digital Margrethe Vestager said that it will even be used to access social media accounts such as Google and Facebook.