Last week former Prime Minister Ehud Barak suggested that Pfizer and other drug manufacturers are using the Israeli population as a COVID-19 vaccine test subject, and that Israel has willingly made itself available for this purpose.
Globes Friday confirmed the details, writing that "Israel will act as a large world testing laboratory, with the results from this huge research serving to set vaccination strategies in the rest of the world."
Barak had stated: "This data is a treasure trove for Pfizer. With this data, Pfizer can show that it vaccinated an entire high-risk population in a country with no deaths wholly attributable to the vaccine.”
According to Globes, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu revealed the main reason why Israel has received so many vaccine doses so quickly, mainly from Pfizer but also from Moderna: Israel has committed to send Pfizer "data and details especially gathered for them, including the consequences of the inoculations, side effects, efficacy, amount of time it takes to develop antibodies. according to different types of population, age, gender, preexisting conditions etc. The agreement extensively details the various parameters that will be sent to Pfizer."
"The concept of Israel as a giant testing trial lab for COVID-19 vaccinations came from several sources," says Globes, listing a researcher at the Israel Institute of Biological Research in Nes Ziona, a senior Health Ministry doctor, and a World Health Organization official.
"After the idea was broached," the paper continues, "Pfizer consulted with the WHO and the leaders of other countries. Pfizer representatives closely scrutinized Israel's health system.
"In addition to sending all the data to Pfizer, it was also agreed that the WHO would receive all the information. A WHO delegation is expected in Israel in February to closely examine Israel's vaccine distribution network."