Netanyahu defends Pfizer deal: ‘This is a very good investment’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the country’s agreement with Pfizer Inc. to receive eight million doses of its coronavirus vaccine on Sunday, after the agreement was called into question over the weekend by Israeli media.

“This is a very good agreement,” Netanyahu said. “The price per dose is about a thousandth of the general expenses we have incurred from the coronavirus so far. This is a very good investment in the health and life of you, the citizens of Israel.”

On Friday, the Hebrew website Ynet received inside information that Israel was going to be paying NIS 800 million – NIS 100 per dose or NIS 200 per person – as every person needs two doses to be protected – for the Pfizer vaccine. In addition, it was revealed that the contract does not commit Pfizer to supply the vaccines to Israel. Rather, the contract includes only an intention to do so “according to circumstances.”

On Sunday, Health Minister Yuli Edelstein lashed out at whoever leaked the information and said that “a serious crime was committed on Friday… I have no doubt that it will make it difficult for us to reach agreements with other companies, because they have seen what we signed with Pfizer.”

Netanyahu said that in fact some clauses of the contract were not meant to be published and said that “we do not want to jeopardize the supply by revealing the details of these agreements.”

He added that he is confident that “if Pfizer provides vaccines to the world’s leading countries, it will provide exactly the same to us. I have absolute confidence that if it passes the FDA, the various health certification authorities and production, to the extent that it is provided to others, it will be provided to us as well. I have full confidence in that and I would not have feared it at all.”

On Friday afternoon, Israel signed a contract with Pfizer that was signed by Health Ministry Director-General Chezy Levy, Health Ministry Accountant, Hassan Ismail, and Pfizer’s vice president Janine Small. The contract was prepared after direct negotiations between Netanyahu and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

Last week, Pfizer revealed an interim analysis of its Phase III study that showed the vaccine is 90% effective.

Israel also has contracts with Moderna Inc. and Arcturus to receive their vaccine candidates upon approval, however those companies have yet to publish any data on their Phase III human trials.