Pfizer execs thank Israel for data

• Date: 11 March 2021
• Published date: 11 March 2021
• Author: Shlomo Witty
• Publication title: Israel National News (Israel)

"We knew it would be good for humanity if we chose one country where we could demonstrate what the complete vaccination of the population could contribute to the health of its people, and also to the economy - because the economy could be reopened," Bourla said in an interview with Channel 12.

"Of course I talked to several heads of state, including Netanyahu, and he convinced me that Israel is a place with the right conditions for an experiment. I was impressed by your prime minister's obsession - he called me 30 times."

Bourla responded to Prime Minister Netanyahu's claim that he is the only one who can purchase the vaccines from Pfizer: "As with all our contracts around the world, in Israel we did not sign a contract with an independent company or organization. We only sign contracts with government agencies. The vaccines will be sold to each country, irrespective of the head of state."

The CEO of Pfizer estimated that young teenagers will be able to be vaccinated in the fall, and it will be possible to vaccinate primary school children by the end of 2021.

Data collected following the vaccination campaign in Israel, which is considered the fastest and most successful in the world, shows that Pfizer and BioNTech's vaccine is even more effective than previously thought, and its effectiveness in preventing serious illness or disease with symptoms is 97 percent.

A statement issued by Pfizer and BioNTech said that the data collected from the vaccination campaign in Israel is critical to the global vaccination campaign, and gives hope to many countries that they will be able to leave the crisis behind soon.

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