Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla was forced to reschedule his business visit to Israel, the world champion vaccination state, because it turned out that he was not completely vaccinated against the new coronavirus, and Israel introduced the so-called ” green passports ” recently.
According to The Jerusalem Post, both Albert Bourla and some members of the delegation who were to accompany him during his visit to Israel have not yet received the second dose of the Covid vaccine.
Consequently, it was decided to postpone the visit for a few days, which also raised a logistical problem, given the incoming elections in Israel.
The head of the company that produces the Comirnaty vaccine had stated in December that he was in no hurry to get vaccinated, motivating that he did not want to take it before those who have priority and that he would wait until it was his turn. So far, he has only been injected with the first dose, but not yet with the second.
“We are still interested in visiting Israel and meeting with local decision-makers,” a Pfizer spokesman told N12. “The visit to Israel will probably be rescheduled for the end of spring.” The Achrayut Leumit (National Responsibility) movement on Wednesday sent a letter to Albert Bourla, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, state comptroller and ombudsman Matanyahu Englman, asking the executive director of Pfizer to postpone his visit until after the election.
We believe that Mr Bourla’s participation in events where he will be photographed with the current prime minister would contribute to illegal election support, which is a crime, “said Oshi Elmaliach, an adviser to Achrayut Leumit’s director who is seen as a close ally of former prime minister Ehud Barak.
Elmaliach threatened that any such propaganda would lead to a complaint to Ombudsman Englman, the Central Electoral Committee and, if necessary, to the Israeli Police, for violating electoral propaganda laws.
Netanyahu said last week that the purpose of Albert Bourla’s visit was to discuss the construction of a Pfizer plant in Israel to produce the Covid vaccine.