Pfizer CEO: We may switch to the vaccine once a year. I was surprised by the "pike" intensity of vaccine opponents
The chairman and CEO of Pfizer, Dr. Albert Burla, returned to visit Israel after 45 years. From vaccine opponents and even expresses confidence in competitors from "Nature"
Nir Kipnis
26/06/2022
Sunday, 26 June 2022, 17:59
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In the video: Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Burla in an interview with Nir Kipnis (stills: Reuven Castro, video: Yotam Ronen, technical director: Michael Barhum, video editing: Nir Chen)
The main change in the status of someone who until about two years ago was known only in the pharmaceutical industry, becomes clear long before the conversation with him: For 2022 (with a million dollars, which he decided to donate to the memory of Greek Jewry who perished in the Holocaust), but Albert Burla, as will be seen immediately, adapts well to his new status as one of the best known in the world
. Corona, do we need to be prepared for more waves?
"I think we need to be prepared for more waves but I think with the tools we have now
people should not get to hospitals or die.
The virus will stay with us for years to come, but
we can get our lives back. "
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Dr. Burla: "The virus will stay with us for years to come, but we can get our lives back" (Photo: Reuven Castro)
So what is it like to be famous?
Burla of course also has a commercial interest in fixing the status of corona vaccines in the ongoing medical protocol and yet, it is impossible not to ask how he sees not only the future of dealing with the disease but also the future of vaccines.
So will we have to go through a process of getting vaccinated every six months or so in the years to come?
"I hope we get to the point where we'll have to get vaccinated once a year. We'm still not there for sure right now, because we do not know how long these vaccines will last, but we're working to produce vaccines
that
will last longer and hopefully last a year.
.
Were you surprised by the great movement against vaccines and conspiracy theories?
"Yes, I was surprised. Over the years there has always been a small percentage of people who refuse to vaccinate themselves. It is always in the region of 4% -5% of the population, but now we have seen much higher numbers. One of the reasons is that it has become very political in many countries. "It has become a political statement: whether you get vaccinated or not, whether you wear a mask or not."
But not only political fashion, Burla also has a full stomach for the professionals who collaborated with vaccine opponents:
"There is the phenomenon of misinformation. A lot of information that is false, created by professionals, sample videos that show a distorted and false picture of reality."
The most interesting change for someone who almost overnight became one of the most famous people in the world is the change of status - from a solid CEO of a pharmaceutical manufacturer to a star
.
"It's a strange feeling, I was not prepared for it. It's pleasant overall, but also less pleasant when you lose privacy in your personal life. You're always under a microscope in everything you do - and sometimes you're also attacked by people who do not like what you do, but I am very grateful for what happened. "
On world publicity: "I was not ready for it. It's pleasant overall" (Photo: Reuven Castro)
"It is important for every Jew in the world that Israel is a safe haven"
Burla is not only the CEO of the company that was the first to develop a vaccinated vaccine against the corona
, but also a Jew of Thessaloniki descent, who last visited Israel when he was a 15-year-old boy, about 45 years ago. With your Jewish roots? Was there a moment when you felt different because it was
Israel
that became the first to adopt the vaccines?
The decision to give the vaccines to Israel was made on the basis of the benefits:
We were looking for one country that could implement very quickly the vaccination campaign that would demonstrate to the world that the worst behind us Israel was chosen because we were convinced that this is the country that knows how to implement crisis moves and has an excellent hospital and health system and we were not wrong.
In March 2021 I can not forget the sight of people in restaurants doing "Cheers Pfizer" and coming back to life after closure so it felt good that it was Israel. "
Were you in touch with the political leadership or with the medical community?
" With both.
We have a weekly meeting with a large group of our scientists with a large group of scientists from the Ministry of Health and also with the participation of some Harvard professors who monitor the situation to see how they are progressing.
I myself talked more with the political leadership, but all the work
was done at the scientific level. "
"I know Teva's leadership well and I think they do a great job."
Burla (Photo: Reuven Castro)
"Surely Teva will succeed"
Burla devoted the last part of the conversation between us to a question that interests quite a few Israelis, about the chances of survival and rehabilitation of the "Teva" company.
Do you think "nature" can survive?
She was once a great Israeli pride and is now experiencing difficulties.
"I can not comment on another company, but I know well the leadership of 'Teva' and I think they are doing a great job to relocate the company, I am sure they will succeed."
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