Pfizer board member dismissed low-fatality COVID studies in CIA briefing, documents reveal

Documents released by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee show that Scott Gottlieb, a Pfizer board member and ex-FDA commissioner, briefed CIA officials in May 2020 and dismissed two California seroprevalence studies that implied a COVID-19 infection-fatality rate of 0.2% or less. The studies from Santa Clara and Los Angeles had estimated far higher infection rates than official counts. Gottlieb’s remarks came shortly after Pfizer announced a trial of four vaccine candidates in the United States.

He also cautioned that a rapid Chinese vaccine could bolster Beijing’s global reputation. The memo was part of a subpoena by Senator Rand Paul investigating the pandemic’s origins and Dr. Anthony Fauci’s role. The CIA declined to comment on the briefing. The episode raises questions about potential conflicts of interest, given Gottlieb’s $2.5 million compensation from Pfizer since leaving the FDA.