Criminal! Criminal! Criminal!
On Wednesday night, Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla was presented the Genesis Prize by President Isaac Herzog of Israel.
Getting to the venue was tough as angry protesters met Bourla at the event in Jerusalem, with some calling him a criminal.
“Dr. Albert Bourla was announced as the 9th Genesis Prize Laureate in January 2022. The award recognizes his leadership in delivering a vaccine against COVID-19, which saved millions of lives during the pandemic. The Genesis Prize also celebrates the boldness of his vision and willingness to assume risks, which enabled the delivery of the vaccine in record time,” according to a statement made by the Genesis Prize Foundation.
“In addition to honoring the vast humanitarian impact of Dr. Bourla’s leadership, the award also celebrates his pride in his Jewish identity and heritage, and his strong support for the State of Israel,” the foundation said further.
Bourla donated his $1 million Genesis Prize award for the construction of the Holocaust Museum of Greece in Thessaloniki, to commemorate Greek-Jewish communities wiped out by the Nazis.
President Isaac Herzog of Israel lauded the Pfizer CEO for his leadership and strong support for Israel at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Albert Bourla was not deterred by high stakes, by naysayers, by conspiracy or by politics. He believed in the vaccine, and invested every ounce of himself in realizing what seemed at the time a far-fetched fantasy. The vaccine was developed in record speed, utilizing the technology of tomorrow to successfully hold back a devastating pandemic.”
On Sunday, Bourla met with Israel journalist Adir Yanko for an interview.
When asked if the “Jewish Nobel” recipient was aware of any new adverse effects related to the vaccine, he responded, “We haven’t seen, although the vaccines have been used in billions now of people and they have been scrutinized because of the publicity of COVID a lot. So I don’t think there is any vaccine that anyone can feel safer given the extensive use of experience that you have with it.”
Israel has been one of the first countries to embrace the Pfizer vaccine along with every booster shot developed in two years. Despite all that, the country recorded the highest COVID-19 related deaths in 2022.