CNBC's Meg Tirrell reports on a letter by the Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla reiterating his company's commitment to safety and criticizing the politicization of the development of a coronavirus vaccine. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: [ Ссылка ]
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla sent a memo to employees Thursday criticizing this week’s U.S. presidential debate as “disappointing,” saying the political rhetoric surrounding the outbreak and vaccine development is “undercutting public confidence.”
“Once more, I was disappointed that the prevention for a deadly disease was discussed in political terms rather than scientific facts,” he wrote. About a third of Americans have already said that they won’t get a vaccine for Covid-19, once one is approved.
He said Pfizer felt it had an obligation to step up to create a vaccine to protect against the coronavirus, which has now taken more than 1 million lives across the globe. Bourla acknowledged the company’s ambitious goal to produce 100 million doses by the end of the year.
“Now, we are approaching our goal and despite not having any political considerations with our pre-announced date, we find ourselves in the crucible of the U.S. Presidential election,” he wrote. “In this hyper-partisan year, there are some who would like us to move more quickly and others who argue for delay. Neither of those options are acceptable to me.”
He told employees that vaccine development is moving “at the speed of science” and that the company would not succumb to political pressure. Pfizer feels the pressure of the “billions of people, millions of businesses and hundreds of government officials that are depending on us,” he said.
The company didn’t take any investment money from any government, he added. “Our independence is a precious asset,” he said.
» Subscribe to CNBC TV: [ Ссылка ]
» Subscribe to CNBC: [ Ссылка ]
» Subscribe to CNBC Classic: [ Ссылка ]
Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business news worldwide.
The News with Shepard Smith is CNBC’s daily news podcast providing deep, non-partisan coverage and perspective on the day’s most important stories. Available to listen by 8:30pm ET / 5:30pm PT daily beginning September 30: [ Ссылка ]
Connect with CNBC News Online
Get the latest news: [ Ссылка ]
Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: [ Ссылка ]
Follow CNBC News on Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Follow CNBC News on Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Follow CNBC News on Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
For info on the best credit cards go to CNBC Select:
[ Ссылка ]
#CNBC
#CNBCTV
