CoronaVirus/Pfizer

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Vaccine makers have nothing to lose by marketing their experimental COVID-nineteen shots, even if they cause serious injury and death, every bit they enjoy total indemnity confronting injuries occurring from COVID-xix vaccines or any other pandemic vaccine under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Deed, passed in the U.S. in 2005.

The full extent of their COVID-19 vaccine indemnification agreements with countries, nonetheless, is a closely guarded cloak-and-dagger, one that has remained highly confidential — until now. A leaked document broken downward past Twitter user Ehden reveals the shocking terms of Pfizer'due south international COVID-19 vaccine agreements. He wrote:

"These agreements are confidential, but luckily i country did not protect the contract document well enough, so I managed to go a agree of a copy. As yous are about to see, there is a good reason why Pfizer was fighting to hide the details of these contracts."

An ironclad agreement, all on Pfizer's terms

The alleged indemnification understanding, reportedly between Pfizer and Albania, was originally posted in snippets on Twitter, but Twitter now has them marked as "unavailable." Copies of the tweets are bachelor on Treadreader, nonetheless.

The Albania agreement appears very like to another contract, published online, between Pfizer and the Dominican Republic. It covers not only COVID-19 vaccines, but any product that enhances the use or effects of such vaccines. Countries that purchase Pfizer's COVID-19 shot must acknowledge that "Pfizer'south efforts to develop and manufacture the Product" are "subject to significant risks and uncertainties."

And in the outcome that a drug or other treatment comes out that can prevent, treat or cure COVID-nineteen, the agreement stands, and the state must follow through with their guild. Ivermectin , for instance, is non only safe, inexpensive and widely available just has been found to reduce COVID-19 mort ality past 81% . Even so, information technology continues to exist ignored in favor of more expensive, and less effective, treatments and mass experimental vaccination. Ehden wrote:

"If you were wondering why #Ivermectin was suppressed, well, it is because the understanding that countries had with Pfizer does not allow them to escape their contract, which states that fifty-fifty if a drug will be found to treat COVID19 the contract cannot exist voided."

Even if Pfizer fails to evangelize vaccine doses within their estimated delivery period, the purchaser may not abolish the order. Farther, Pfizer tin make adjustments to the number of contracted doses and their delivery schedule, "based on principles to be determined by Pfizer," and the country buying the vaccines must "concord to any revision."

It doesn't matter if the vaccines are delivered severely late, fifty-fifty at a bespeak when they're no longer needed, as it's fabricated clear that

"Under no circumstances volition Pfizer be subject to or liable for whatsoever late delivery penalties." Equally you might suspect, the contract as well "forbids returns under any circumstances."

The big secret: Pfizer charged U.S. More Than Other Countries

While COVID-19 vaccines are "gratuitous" to receive in the U.S., they're being paid for by taxpayer dollars at a rate of $19.5011 per dose. Albania, the leaked contract revealed, paid $12 per dose, while the European union paid $fourteen.lxx per shot. While charging dissimilar prices to different purchases is common in the drug industry, it's oftentimes frowned upon.

In the case of the price disparity between the U.South. and the European union, Pfizer is said to have given a cost break to the EU because it financially supported the development of their COVID-19 vaccine. Notwithstanding, Ehden noted, "U.S. taxpayers got screwed by Pfizer, probably also Israel." Also, Pfizer makes a point to note that countries have no right to withhold payment to the company for whatsoever reason.

Patently, this includes in the example of receiving damaged goods. Purchasers of Pfizer'due south COVID-xix vaccines are not entitled to reject them "based on service complaints," unless they do non conform to specifications or the FDA'southward Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations. And, Ehden adds, "This agreement is above whatever local police force of the country."

While the purchaser has virtually no way of canceling the contract, Pfizer tin cease the understanding in the event of a "cloth breach" of whatsoever term in their contract.

Safety and efficacy 'not currently known'

The purchaser of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine must also acknowledge two facts that have largely been brushed under the rug: Both their efficacy and risks are unknown. Co-ordinate to section five.5 of the contract:

"Purchaser acknowledges that the Vaccine and materials related to the Vaccine, and their components and constituent materials are existence rapidly developed due to the emergency circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and will go along to be studied after provision of the Vaccine to Purchaser under this Agreement.

"Purchaser farther acknowledges that the long-term furnishings and efficacy of the Vaccine are non currently known and that there may be adverse effects of the Vaccine that are not currently known."

Indemnification by the purchaser is likewise explicitly required by the contract, which states, under section 8.1:

"Purchaser hereby agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Pfizer, BioNTech, each of their Affiliates, contractors, sub-contractors, licensors, licensees, sub-licensees, distributors, contract manufacturers, services providers, clinical trial researchers, third parties to whom Pfizer or BioNTech or any of their respective Affiliates may directly or indirectly owe an indemnity based on the research ...
"from and against any and all suits, claims, deportment, demands, losses, damages, liabilities, settlements, penalties, fines, costs and expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees and other expenses of an investigation or litigation ... arising out of, relating to, or resulting from the Vaccine ..."

Meanwhile, the purchaser must also keep the terms of the contract confidential for a menses of 10 years.

Non merely does Pfizer have total indemnification, but there'due south also a section in the contract titled, "Assumption of Defense by Purchaser," which states that in the event Pfizer suffers losses for which it is seeking indemnification, the purchaser

"shall promptly assume conduct and control of the defence force of such Indemnified Claims on behalf of the Indemnitee with counsel acceptable to Indemnitee(southward), whether or non the Indemnified Claim is rightfully brought."

Ehden notes:

"Pfizer is making sure the state volition pay for everything: 'Costs and expenses, including ... fees and disbursements of counsel, incurred by the Indemnitee(s) in connection with whatsoever Indemnified Claim shall be reimbursed on a quarterly basis by Purchaser.'"

Cached in the March 17, 2020, Federal Annals — the daily journal of the U.S. government — in a document titled, "Announcement Under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act for Medical Countermeasures Against COVID-19," is linguistic communication that establishes a new COVID-19 vaccine court — similar to the federal vaccine court that already exists.

In the U.S., vaccine makers already enjoy full indemnity against injuries occurring from this or any other pandemic vaccine nether the PREP Human action. If you lot're injured by a COVID vaccine (or a select grouping of other vaccines designated under the act), you'd have to file a compensation claim with the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), which is funded past U.S. taxpayers via Congressional appropriation to the Section of Health and Human being Services (DHHS).

While similar to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Plan (NVICP), which applies to nonpandemic vaccines, the CICP is fifty-fifty less generous when it comes to bounty. Equally reported past Dr. Meryl Nass, the maximum payout y'all tin can receive — even in cases of permanent disability or death — is $250,000 per person; yet, you'd have to exhaust your private insurance policy earlier the CICP gives yous a dime.

The CICP besides has a one-year statute of limitations, then you have to act quickly, which is also difficult since it's unknown if long-term effects could occur more than a year later.

Pfizer accused of abuse of power

As is credible in Pfizer's confidential contract with Republic of albania, the drug giant wants governments to guarantee the company will be compensated for whatsoever expenses resulting from injury lawsuits against information technology. Pfizer has also demanded that countries put up sovereign assets , including banking concern reserves, military bases and embassy buildings, equally collateral for expected vaccine injury lawsuits resulting from its COVID-19 inoculation.

New Delhi-based World Is One News (WION) reported in Feb 2021 that Brazil rejected Pfizer'due south demands, calling them "abusive." The demands included that Brazil:

  1. "Waives sovereignty of its assets away in favor of Pfizer."
  2. Not apply its domestic laws to the company.
  3. Not penalize Pfizer for vaccine commitment delays.
  4. Exempt Pfizer from all civil liability for side effects.

STAT News also referred to concerns past legal experts, who too suggested Pfizer's demands were an corruption of power. Marker Eccleston-Turner, a lecturer in global wellness law at Keele University in England, told STAT:

"[Pfizer] is trying to eke out equally much turn a profit and minimize its risk at every juncture with this vaccine development so this vaccine rollout. Now, the vaccine evolution has been heavily subsidized already. And so there's very minimal risk for the manufacturer involved at that place."

Signs of COVID vaccine failure, adverse effects rise

Pfizer continues to sign lucrative secret vaccine deals across the earth. In June 2021, they signed ane of their biggest contracts to date — with the Philippine authorities for 40 million doses .

Meanwhile, COVID-19 "breakthrough cases," which used to be called vaccine failures, are on the ascension. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of July nineteen, 5,914 people who had been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 were hospitalized or died from COVID-19.

In the U.Thou., as of July fifteen, 87.v% of the adult population had received one dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 67.1% had received two. Yet, symptomatic cases among partially and fully vaccinated are on the rising , with an average of 15,537 new infections a day being detected, a twoscore% increment from the week before.

In a July 19 written report from the CDC, the agency as well reported that the Vaccine Adverse Consequence Reporting Organisation (VAERS) had received 12,313 reports of expiry amidst people who received a COVID-19 vaccine — more than doubling from the half-dozen,079 reports of death from the week earlier.

Before long after the report, notwithstanding, they reverted the number to the 6,079 from the week before, indicating by default that no deaths from the vaccine had occurred that calendar week, raising serious questions about transparency and vaccine safety.

Many other adverse events are besides appearing, ranging in risks from the biologically active SARS-CoV-2 fasten poly peptide used in the vaccine to blood clots, reproductive toxicity and myocarditis ( centre inflammation ). As you can see in the confidential indemnification agreements, yet, even if the vaccine turns out to be a dismal failure — and a adventure to brusque- and long-term health — countries take no recourse, nor does anyone who received the experimental shots.

1 question that nosotros should all be asking is this: If the COVID-19 vaccines are, in fact, equally safe and constructive equally the manufacturers claim, why do they crave this level of indemnification?

The views and opinions expressed in this commodity are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Children'southward Health Defense.