CNN Business selected Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla as “CEO of the Year.”
The outlet — which also considered David Solomon of Goldman Sachs, Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, and Elon Musk of Tesla, and several other business leaders — selected Bourla due to Pfizer’s work in creating COVID-19 vaccinations.
“Pfizer did a lot of good [for] humanity and we are very, very proud of it,” Bourla told CNN Business in an interview. “Not only were we able to save so many lives … but we are enjoying high levels of corporate reputation right now. People like us.”
CNN Business continued:
Pfizer isn’t the only company that has developed a vaccine. But the Big Pharma leader, even more so than its European partner BioNTech (BNTX) or rival vaccine developer Moderna (MRNA), has become synonymous with the fight against Covid…
In addition, Pfizer has developed a pill that could drastically reduce the risk of severe complications, hospitalization and death for people who contract the virus. The Food and Drug Administration announced following the interview with Bourla that it had approved Pfizer’s Paxlovid oral treatment. But Bourla stressed to CNN Business that the pill is not meant to be a substitute for the vaccine.
Bourla also told CNN Business that Pfizer is evaluating the possibility of vaccines for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers: “We’re working very intensively on that to make sure we can bring a solution for that… We are looking at different doses, well below the doses that have been used [for adults and older kids.] We know that it will be safe. What we are looking to see is if that will protect them by giving the lower dose.”
Beyond vaccines for young children, Pfizer recently secured approval for the use of booster shots on 16-year-olds and 17-year-olds.
“Vaccination and getting a booster when eligible, along with other preventive measures like masking and avoiding large crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, remain our most effective methods for fighting COVID-19,” Acting FDA Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said earlier this month. “As people gather indoors with family and friends for the holidays, we can’t let up on all the preventive public health measures that we have been taking during the pandemic. With both the delta and omicron variants continuing to spread, vaccination remains the best protection against COVID-19.”
“The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has been available to individuals 16 years of age and older for nearly a year, and its benefits have been shown to clearly outweigh potential risks,” Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, added. “Since we first authorized the vaccine, new evidence indicates that vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 is waning after the second dose of the vaccine for all adults and for those in the 16- and 17-year-old age group. A single booster dose of the vaccine for those vaccinated at least six months prior will help provide continued protection against COVID-19 in this and older age groups.”