The Veterinary Doctor Who Saved American Lives

A medical pioneer, whose career began in animal health, is the mystery man behind the accelerated development of the first life-saving Covid vaccine approved last November. His company, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, has churned out 2.5 billion dosages for distribution to 116 nations. 

Dr. Albert Bourla, the drug firm's chairman and chief executive officer, steered the company in the development of a ground-breaking vaccine using mRNA technology. He green-lighted $2 billion in research and development for the technology.  His decision was a gigantic risk for his company. 

Although mRNA technology had been studied for decades, many in the scientific community considered it a tricky challenge to use it for a COVID vaccine. Scientists hoped an mRNA vaccine could be engineered to teach our cells to make a protein that triggers an immune response to COVID.  

Dr. Bourla made the decision to collaborate with BioNTech, a German firm with experience in the field of immunology and a leader in the development of therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.  The partnership marshaled the resources and scientists of two firms to tackle the vaccine conundrum.  

Development of the vaccine turned out to be a supply chain nightmare.  The 280 different materials or components in the vaccine were sourced by suppliers in 19 countries.  Adding to the challenge, many of the countries were locked down, including the U.S. It was a daunting obstacle to overcome. 

Additionally, Pfizer had to create a manufacturing process from scratch.  An army of scientists, engineers and manufacturing workers developed an efficient manufacturing machine for the vaccine. The first dosages were shipped on December 15, less than nine months after the project was launched.

The vaccine development was hailed as a stunning scientific achievement, reducing the timeframe from years to months.  For Dr. Bourla, it was the capstone of a more than 25-year career at Pfizer that began in 1993 when he was hired as the firm's technical director in the Animal Health Division in Greece.

Dr. Bourla holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a PHD in the Biotechnology Reproduction from the Veterinary School of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece.  An unlikely degree path for someone who would occupy the CEO office at the one of the world largest pharmaceutical companies.

What makes his life story fascinating is that he was born in the Ancient Greek city of Salonica, where his mother and father were among the few Jews to survive Nazi Germany's brutal occupation. Of the more than 50,000 Jews living in Salonica before World War II, about 2,000 survived the death camps.

Bourla's father, uncle and two brothers eluded the initial Nazi roundup for Jews in the Greek city, escaping to Athens on fake ID's supplied by leaders in the Greek Orthodox Church. His mother dodged death under miraculous circumstances.  

She was facing execution by Nazi soldiers in Salonica. She was lined up against a brick wall facing a machine gun just feet away.  Seconds before the firing began, two Nazi soldiers arrived in the nick of time with an order for her release. They whisked her away to safety.

According to Dr. Bourla, his mother's freedom was purchased by a bribe paid by her wealthy Christian brother-in-law to Salonica's top Nazi SS officer. Her father and three of his brothers found each other after the war had ended in the old city.  

Dr. Bourla's says his parents' account of their gruesome memories of Nazi occupation motivated him to lead a positive life, despite his family's past, cocooned in the darkness of Germany's horrific occupation of his homeland.

The irony of Pfizer's decision to ally with a Germany company to create a vaccine that saved countless lives is not lost on Dr. Bourla. He credits his parents with engraining a spirit of forgiveness and thankfulness in their children. 

"They never spoke to me about revenge," Dr. Bourla recalls. "They never told us that you should hate those that did that to us.  The way their stories always ended was a celebration of life. 'We were almost dead and now we are alive.  Life is wonderful.'"

These lessons are worth celebrating on this Thanksgiving and throughout our lives. 

Time To Confront Unvaccinated To End Pandemic

After life-saving vaccines arrived, the tide began to shift in the battle against the 18-month-old pandemic.  COVID-19 cases shriveled.  Hospitalizations dipped.  Fatalities became a rarity instead of a  Bataan-like march. But the rise of the Delta variant poses a new threat to ending the pandemic.  

The highly contagious new variant is spreading like a California wildfire. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths are ticking upward at an alarming rate.  Complicating the effort to tamp down the outbreak is the failure of vaccination campaigns to convince nearly half of Americans to get the shots.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports 49% of Americans are fully vaccinated.  The agency's figures show an estimated 68% of individuals have received at least a single dose of one of the three vaccines. Research indicates two doses are required for maximum protection against the Delta variant.

A clarification about the 68% national figure is in order. It is unintentionally misleading. With a little digging, CDC figures reveal nearly two-thirds of the 3,143 counties in the U.S. have less than 40% of residents who have been fully vaccinated.  

States with high vaccine rates are skewing the national data.  States with low vaccination rates are breeding grounds for the spread of the Delta variant. 

This is a sobering dose of reality for the Biden Administration, which pledged to blunt the virus and administer at least one vaccine dose to 70% of all Americans by July 4.  Once President Trump delivered the vaccines in Warp Speed fashion, the job fell to President Biden to ramp up vaccinations.

Even the White House's pandemic response coordinator Jeff Zients admitted at a recent press briefing that the recent surge in COVID cases and deaths represents a lack of success for the administration.

"The sad reality is that despite our progress, we're still losing people to the virus.  Which is especially tragic given that, at this point, it is unnecessary and preventable.  Virtually all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the United States are now among unvaccinated individuals."

Data confirms Zients' assessment.  Preliminary figures suggest 99.5% of the deaths in the last few months are in unvaccinated people, according to CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.  Unvaccinated Americans are also more likely to require hospitalization, if they are infected with the Delta variant.

Research reveals the novel strain travels faster than the original alpha version of COVID-19.  CDC analysis of genetic sequencing from positive tests discovered the Delta variant accounts for 83% of the new COVID cases. The good news is that vaccines are potent weapons against the variant.

The Pfizer vaccine is 88% effective against symptomatic cases and 96% effective against hospitalization from the Delta variant in studies, reports Yale Medicine.  Moderna's vaccine has proven equally effective against the Delta variant, although the data for both studies have not been peer reviewed.

In an era when "following the science" is a recurring slogan, why are so many Americans, including large numbers of health workers, refusing to roll up their sleeves for a shot? Vaccines are readily available in every part of the country.  What's the excuse?

A Kaiser Family Foundation research survey conducted in January sheds light on the reluctance to take the jab. The study learned that 51% of Americans would "definitely not get the vaccine."  Another 16% reported they would only get the vaccine if "it was required."  

The foundation fielded another study of the same individuals in June and found little movement in attitudes.  According to the findings, 24% of individuals in the original two groups softened their opposition. That leaves 76% of the two groups (51% and 16%) who haven't budged. 

Some demographic groups are embracing vaccines faster than the population at large.  Kaiser reported higher vaccine rates in older adults (79.6%), those with serious health problems, college graduates and Democrats.  The data shows 42% of Americans aged 30-49 have not been vaccinated.  

Among demographic groups adopting a "wait and see" attitude are large numbers of African-Americans and Hispanics, the survey found.  What is causing this hesitation?  

Two-thirds of adults (and a large majority of the unvaccinated) are concerned about the safety of the vaccines.  Although medical professionals, celebrities, politicians and health officials have tried to assure the public the vaccines are safe, many view full FDA approval of the vaccines as a proxy for safety.

Why hasn't the Federal Drug Administration fully approved the vaccines after the administration of 338 million doses?  That question always prompts the government to defer to established protocols for final approval.  How much more evidence is needed?  Approval is bogged down in the bureaucracy.

In addition the CDC has been less than forthcoming in explaining to Americans the so-called "adverse incidents" that have occurred.  Most Americans have read or heard of about deaths, blood clots and severe but rare allergic reactions following vaccinations.  Why not discuss those publicly to arrest fears?

Instead, the CDC prefers to circulate details on a limited basis to medical professionals. When the CDC doesn't air these adverse outcomes and explain why they are  extremely rare, Americans draw their own conclusions. It fuels fear and anxiety. The CDC should come clean for the good of the public.

On the CDC website, there is a reference to 6,207 deaths that have been recorded after individuals received the vaccine. Deaths have been reported online and in the media without an ounce of perspective. Seldom is it made clear there is no evidence the fatalities were caused by the vaccines.

In fact, the CDC website adds explanatory language advising that the FDA requires healthcare providers to report any death after a COVID vaccination, "even if it's unclear whether the vaccine was the cause." Reports of deaths "do not necessarily mean that a vaccine caused the health problem," it cautions.

The CDC includes this disclaimer: "A review of available clinical information, including death certificates, autopsy and medical records has not established a causal link to COVID-19 vaccines."  The agency also notes there have been rare cases of blood clots and anaphylaxis.

There have been 39 reports of people who suffered blood clots and about 60 Americans who had a rare allergic reaction, including anaphylaxis.  These CDC figures may frighten some, but put in perspective, it means your chances of an adverse incident are extremely unlikely.  

In fact, it is more life-threatening to live in Chicago, drive your car or suffer complications from influenza than it is to receive one of the three available vaccines: Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson and Johnson. The CDC and the administration must take the initiative to launch an extensive media and ad blitz.

No discussion of vaccine hesitancy could be fair and balanced without singling out the politicization of the development process.  When unity was required, the Washington political class dished out division and scare mongering, which fostered an unhealthy environment for wide vaccine adoption.

Recently, President Biden blamed social media companies, such as Facebook, for spreading misinformation about the vaccines.  "They're killing people," Biden vented in response to a reporter's question.  This is a red herring.  Facebook's censors ban any anti-vaccine posts.

Your writer knows this first hand.  He posted a humorous picture of a skeleton with the caption: "I can assure everyone the vaccine is completely safe."  With lightning speed, Facebook's dictatorial, ham-fisted censors put a large banner over the post, directing readers to a CDC website.   

More photo opts of celebrities getting vaccinated are a waste.  Those play into the hands of publicity hungry Hollywood dolts.  What is needed an honest intensive campaign to fully inform Americans, pulling no punches about adverse side effects.  And the FDA must fully approve the vaccines...now.

There is little sense of urgency in the administration and FDA, despite White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki's assurances that "getting the pandemic under control (and) protecting Americans from the spread of the virus" is the president's "number one priority."

That is a curious statement in light of the Biden Administration's decision not to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for the White House staff.  Does that set a good example for Americans?  Remember when an unmasked Trump was viewed by the media as a sign of his not taking the virus seriously?

Now high profile professional athletes and coaches are defying league rules on vaccinations. A couple of assistant coaches have been fired. A handful of healthcare workers have been forced to resign for refusing to take the shots,  The anti-vaccine undercurrent is stronger than many acknowledge.  

In the wake of the Delta outbreak, Dr. Anthony Fauci is raising the prospect of new mask mandates for the vaccinated.  If implemented, this will punish those who have been vaccinated to protect the unvaccinated. There will be a backlash the likes of which this country has not witnessed since the pandemic began. 

One way to address this conundrum is the voluntary adoption of a policy for retail businesses, department stores, restaurants, bars and sporting events:  Only those who have been vaccinated will be allowed on the premises. All others will be denied entrance.

No question this is extreme, and admittedly unenforceable, but the message will be crystal clear.  The unvaccinated have given up their rights to be treated equally with those of us who have been vaccinated. The message may anger some, but dire circumstances call for drastic measures, 

As long as a majority of individuals remain unprotected from the Delta variant, the pandemic will remain a health threat, inflicting economic harm on hard-working Americans and psychological damage on the country's young people.  

News and Social Media Sabotaging Vaccinations

Even as more Americans roll up their sleeves for life-saving COVID-19 vaccinations, suspicions fueled by the news media and misleading information on social media sites are causing many to skip the shot. Public skepticism is endangering America's effort to beat a menacing, year-long pandemic.

Worries over the safety, the "rushed" nature of the pharmaceutical development and politicization of the vaccines are behind the public reluctance to be vaccinated.  Online conspiracies are spiraling out of control even as millions of vials of the vaccines are dispatched to every state.  

In little more than a month, 59.3 million dosages of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines have been dispatched. States have struggled to administer 42.1 million shots, despite months of lead time to develop public health plans.  A total of 9.1 million Americans have received the required two dosages.

While the snail's pace is unsettling, the more vexing issue is the public mistrust, apathy and even hostility toward promising vaccines that will end America's lockdown nightmare.  This anti-vaccine drumbeat is at odds with fatality statistics: More than 2 million worldwide and 460,000 in the U.S.

Pew Researchers tracked mushrooming apprehension among Americans.  In May, a Pew survey showed 27% of Americans would decline a COVID vaccination.  By November, that number had surged to 39%.  Polls indicate many are adopting a wait-and-see attitude to judge the vaccine's safety.

Speeding up the distribution and inoculation process will not halt the pandemic if four-in-10 adults are unwilling to be vaccinated.  Health experts believe that a vaccination rate of 75%-to-80% of Americans could potentially allow the country to achieve herd immunity later this year.

"By the time we get into fall, we can start approaching some degree of relief where the level of infection will be so low in society we can start essentially approaching some form of normality," says Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

His encouraging assessment has failed to motivate many Americans to bare their arms for a vaccination.  Here are just a few examples of what is happening across the country:

• Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics document that only 37.5% of skilled staff at nursing homes are agreeing to be vaccinated.  The CDC reviewed data from 11,000 nursing facilities.
• Public records in Los Angeles show that between 20% to 40% of all frontline health workers refused to be vaccinated.
• In December about 60% of nursing home staff in Ohio declined to take the vaccines.  The state's governor expressed alarm at the statistics.
• The director of the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston publicly complained about the resistance from staff to take the vaccine.  About 50% of nurses are choosing not to be vaccinated.
• The New York City Firefighters are balking at being vaccinated. More than half of the 2,000 members of the Firefighters Association say they will not take a shot.

When frontline health workers and nursing home staff turn thumbs down on being vaccinated, it sends the wrong signal to average Americans.  They rightly wonder: If people in the health care profession reject the vaccines, they must know something is wrong with the safety and efficacy of the shots.

Cynicism over the vaccine unfolded even before the first vaccines were approved.  Democrats complained former President Trump was "rushing" the scientific development of a vaccine for political reasons. There are many examples that could be cited, but here's just one:

"We are all praying for a safe and effective vaccine as soon as possible, but the damage of the Trump Administration rushing a vaccine before it is known to be safe and effective could be catastrophic," Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a public statement issued October 6.

Throughout the presidential campaign, a Democrat theme was to raise alarm about the administration's handling of the pandemic and to dismiss the promise of vaccines to eradicate the virus.  The media echoed that narrative and deliberately downplayed the advance of science on the vaccine front.    

A new National Bureau of Economic Study of news coverage found a striking difference in the way the U.S. media covered the pandemic compared to journalists in other countries.  A staggering 91% of stories by major news outlets were negative versus 54% in non-U.S. media.  

The study, published by Dartmouth College and Brown University scholars, analyzed more than 20,000 news reports from 15 top U.S. media outlets and 39 international sources.  Among their discoveries was the way the media dismissed the likelihood of having a successful vaccine.

The authors noted that a vaccine was mentioned in 1,371 stories during the period while researchers found 8,756 print and broadcast reports involving Mr. Trump not wearing a mask and 1,636 mentions of the former president's endorsement of hydroxycholroquine. 

Some still want to pin the blame on President Trump.  But Mr. Trump touted the vaccines.  Vice President Mike Pence and members of both the Trump and Biden Administrations were shown receiving vaccinations to tamp down any speculation that the vaccines were unsafe.

Today every instance of someone experiencing a negative reaction to the vaccine is covered by the media in alarmist tones.  When a Democrat congressman tested positive after receiving two dosages of the vaccine, it erupted into a national news story.  Negative news about the vaccines stokes fear.     

Social media has been a sewer of conspiracy theories about the vaccine.  Some of the claims: The needle used to vaccinate people has a microchip with the mark of the Beast; vaccines alter your DNA; vaccines contain a microbe that tracks you; and the vaccines cause COVID. 

Ironically, social media platforms are removing what they consider "violent" content posted by conservatives, but allow conspiratorial scams to fester online, which sow the seeds of distrust for the vaccines and allow disinformation to spread unchecked.      

The damage already done to the public's perceptions will require a massive educational campaign by the health and medical community. It will be a long slog.  However, if it is not done quickly, there is very little light at the end of a long and deadly tunnel.