CoronaVirus/Pfizer

© Shutterstock, screenshot/Pfizer/KJN

Vaccine makers take nada to lose by marketing their experimental COVID-19 shots, fifty-fifty if they cause serious injury and death, as they enjoy full indemnity against injuries occurring from COVID-19 vaccines or any other pandemic vaccine nether the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act, passed in the U.S. in 2005.

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

"These agreements are confidential, only luckily one country did not protect the contract document well enough, and then I managed to get a hold of a re-create. Every bit you are about to meet, at that place is a good reason why Pfizer was fighting to hibernate the details of these contracts."

An ironclad agreement, all on Pfizer's terms

The declared indemnification agreement, reportedly betwixt Pfizer and Albania, was originally posted in snippets on Twitter, but Twitter now has them marked as "unavailable." Copies of the tweets are available on Treadreader, however.

The Albania agreement appears very like to another contract, published online, between Pfizer and the Dominican Republic. It covers non only COVID-xix vaccines, but any product that enhances the use or effects of such vaccines. Countries that buy Pfizer's COVID-xix shot must acknowledge that "Pfizer'south efforts to develop and manufacture the Production" are "subject to significant risks and uncertainties."

And in the event that a drug or other handling comes out that tin forbid, care for or cure COVID-nineteen, the agreement stands, and the country must follow through with their order. Ivermectin , for example, is non but condom, inexpensive and widely bachelor but has been establish to reduce COVID-nineteen mort ality past 81% . Yet, it 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 agreement that countries had with Pfizer does not allow them to escape their contract, which states that even if a drug will be found to care for COVID19 the contract cannot be voided."

Even if Pfizer fails to evangelize vaccine doses within their estimated delivery period, the purchaser may non cancel the order. Further, Pfizer can brand adjustments to the number of contracted doses and their commitment schedule, "based on principles to be determined by Pfizer," and the country buying the vaccines must "concord to whatsoever revision."

It doesn't thing if the vaccines are delivered severely late, even at a point when they're no longer needed, as it's made clear that

"Under no circumstances will Pfizer exist subject to or liable for whatsoever late commitment penalties." Equally you might doubtable, the contract also "forbids returns under any circumstances."

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

While COVID-19 vaccines are "complimentary" to receive in the U.Due south., they're being paid for past taxpayer dollars at a charge per unit of $19.5011 per dose. Albania, the leaked contract revealed, paid $12 per dose, while the European union paid $14.seventy per shot. While charging dissimilar prices to different purchases is mutual in the drug manufacture, it's often frowned upon.

In the case of the price disparity betwixt the U.South. and the EU, Pfizer is said to take given a price suspension to the EU because it financially supported the development of their COVID-19 vaccine. Still, Ehden noted, "U.S. taxpayers got screwed past Pfizer, probably also Israel." Also, Pfizer makes a point to note that countries accept no right to withhold payment to the company for any reason.

Evidently, this includes in the case of receiving damaged goods. Purchasers of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccines are not entitled to reject them "based on service complaints," unless they do non conform to specifications or the FDA's Current Expert Manufacturing Practise regulations. And, Ehden adds, "This agreement is higher up any local law of the land."

While the purchaser has about no way of canceling the contract, Pfizer can terminate the understanding in the event of a "material breach" of any term in their contract.

Rubber and efficacy 'not currently known'

The purchaser of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine must too acknowledge two facts that have largely been brushed nether the rug: Both their efficacy and risks are unknown. According 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 beingness rapidly developed due to the emergency circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to be studied later provision of the Vaccine to Purchaser under this Agreement.

"Purchaser further acknowledges that the long-term effects and efficacy of the Vaccine are not currently known and that there may be agin effects of the Vaccine that are not currently known."

Indemnification past the purchaser is as well explicitly required past the contract, which states, under section viii.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 whatever of their respective Affiliates may directly or indirectly owe an indemnity based on the inquiry ...
"from and against any and all suits, claims, actions, 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 period of 10 years.

Not but does Pfizer take full indemnification, but there'south too a section in the contract titled, "Assumption of Defense by Purchaser," which states that in the consequence Pfizer suffers losses for which it is seeking indemnification, the purchaser

"shall promptly assume conduct and control of the defense 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 land volition pay for everything: 'Costs and expenses, including ... fees and disbursements of counsel, incurred by the Indemnitee(south) in connexion with any Indemnified Claim shall be reimbursed on a quarterly basis by Purchaser.'"

Buried in the March 17, 2020, Federal Register — the daily journal of the U.S. government — in a document titled, "Declaration Nether the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act for Medical Countermeasures Against COVID-19," is linguistic communication that establishes a new COVID-nineteen vaccine court — like to the federal vaccine courtroom that already exists.

In the U.South., vaccine makers already enjoy full indemnity against injuries occurring from this or any other pandemic vaccine under the PREP Act. If you're injured by a COVID vaccine (or a select group of other vaccines designated under the act), y'all'd accept to file a compensation merits with the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Plan (CICP), which is funded by U.S. taxpayers via Congressional appropriation to the Section of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

While similar to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP), which applies to nonpandemic vaccines, the CICP is even less generous when it comes to compensation. Equally reported by Dr. Meryl Nass, the maximum payout you lot tin can receive — even in cases of permanent inability or expiry — is $250,000 per person; however, you'd take to exhaust your private insurance policy before the CICP gives you a dime.

The CICP also has a ane-twelvemonth statute of limitations, so you have to act quickly, which is besides hard since information technology'south unknown if long-term effects could occur more than a year later.

Pfizer accused of abuse of power

Every bit is apparent in Pfizer's confidential contract with Republic of albania, the drug behemothic wants governments to guarantee the company will be compensated for any expenses resulting from injury lawsuits confronting it. Pfizer has as well demanded that countries put upward sovereign assets , including bank reserves, military bases and diplomatic mission buildings, every bit collateral for expected vaccine injury lawsuits resulting from its COVID-nineteen inoculation.

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

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

STAT News also referred to concerns by legal experts, who likewise suggested Pfizer'due south demands were an abuse of power. Marker Eccleston-Turner, a lecturer in global wellness constabulary at Keele University in England, told STAT:

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

Signs of COVID vaccine failure, agin furnishings ascent

Pfizer continues to sign lucrative secret vaccine deals across the globe. In June 2021, they signed one of their biggest contracts to date — with the Philippine government for twoscore one thousand thousand doses .

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

In the U.Thou., as of July xv, 87.5% of the adult population had received i dose of COVID-19 vaccine and 67.1% had received 2. Notwithstanding, symptomatic cases among partially and fully vaccinated are on the ascension , with an average of fifteen,537 new infections a day being detected, a forty% increase from the week before.

In a July nineteen report from the CDC, the bureau also reported that the Vaccine Agin Event Reporting Organisation (VAERS) had received 12,313 reports of death among people who received a COVID-19 vaccine — more than than doubling from the 6,079 reports of death from the week earlier.

Soon afterwards the report, nonetheless, they reverted the number to the half dozen,079 from the week before, indicating by default that no deaths from the vaccine had occurred that week, raising serious questions well-nigh transparency and vaccine safety.

Many other agin events are also appearing, ranging in risks from the biologically active SARS-CoV-two spike protein used in the vaccine to blood clots, reproductive toxicity and myocarditis ( middle inflammation ). Equally you can see in the confidential indemnification agreements, nonetheless, even if the vaccine turns out to be a dismal failure — and a risk to brusk- and long-term health — countries have no recourse, nor does anyone who received the experimental shots.

One question that we should all be request is this: If the COVID-19 vaccines are, in fact, every bit safe and constructive as the manufacturers merits, why do they crave this level of indemnification?

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