Pfizer Foreign COVID-19 Vaccine Contracts Drive a Hard Bargain
A July 28 piece from America’s Frontline Doctors raises ethical concerns about Pfizer’s COVID-19 contracts. While this media group is considered biased by many—that is tagged as a right win group—the article provides images of the contracts in question, so we will focus on the hard evidence and try to take any obvious opinionating by the Frontline Doctors with a grain of salt. The first document to emerge is an agreement between Pfizer and the nation of Albania. Information security expert Ehden Biber was also able to locate contracts with Brazil (Portuguese), the European Commission, and the Dominical Republic. Frontline’s Chief Science Officer Dr. Michael Yeadeon reviewed the Albania contract and offered that it, “looks genuine—I know the basic anatomy of these agreements and nothing is missing that I’d expect to be present, and I’ve seen no clues that suggest it’s fake.” A slightly-jarring clause in the Albania deal, notes, “if there are any laws or regulations in your country under which Pfizer could be prosecuted, you agree to change the law or regulation to close that off.” Biber offered that the deals, which are mostly similar, cover vaccines for COVID-19 or mutations, it also covers, “any device, technology, or product used in the administration of or to enhance the use or effect of, such vaccine.”
No Returns
The deals also say that in the event of a cure emerging, the nations still have to buy the same volume of vaccine, and Biber thinks this could be related to the possible suppression of ivermectin. More, the contracts note, “Pfizer shall have no liability for any failure to deliver doses in accordance with any estimated delivery dates… nor shall any such failure give Purchaser any right to cancel orders for any quantities of Product.” Next, the deals give Pfizer the right to, “decide on necessary adjustments to the number of Contracted Doses and Delivery Schedule due to the Purchaser…based on principles to be determined by Pfizer…Purchaser shall be deemed to agree to any revision.” Unlike our local Target, nations cannot return vaccines, no matter the circumstances: “Pfizer will not, in any circumstances, accept any returns of Product (or any dose)…no Product returns may take place under any circumstances.”
Secrecy Built into Contract
Next is what Biber calls the “big secret”: the fact that the revealed deals show a price of $12.00 per dose as little as 250,000 units, while Pfizer charged Uncle Sam $19.50 per dose. Other clauses include, “This agreement is above any local law of the state—Purchaser hereby agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Pfizer, BioNTech (and) their Affiliates…from and against any and all suits, claims, actions, demands, losses, damages, liabilities, settlements, penalties, fines, costs, and expenses….” Key, the agreement calls for secrecy, “Each Recipient shall safeguard the confidential and proprietary nature of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information with at least the same degree of care as it holds its own confidential or proprietary information of like kind.” So, absent the leaking of these documents in this case, the nature of these contracts might never be known.