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Fact check: False claim that Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla is resigning, admitted vaccines are unsafe

Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY
·4 min read

The claim: Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla is resigning and 'admits' mRNA vaccines are unsafe

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recently announced that he will step down from his position in December. Some social media users claim another high-profile healthcare figure is also stepping down: Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

"Pfizer CEO Albert Burla (sic) is stepping down and now says the mRNA technology was not sufficiently proven when launched," reads the caption of a Dec. 10 Facebook clip (direct link, archived link). "He says they convinced him, but he wasn't sure. He admits it's not safe. Also worth noting he is NOT jabbed."

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An Instagram post with the same claim generated over 1,000 likes before it was recently deleted. Many tweets with the same claim have generated hundreds of likes.

But the claim is wrong on every front.

A Pfizer spokesperson told USA TODAY Bourla remains in his position at Pfizer and has not announced any plans to resign. There is also no evidence that he said mRNA vaccines are dangerous. And Bourla has been vaccinated against COVID-19.

A video clip included in the post shows Bourla discussing why Pfizer used mRNA technology in its COVID-19 vaccine. He does not say the technology is unsafe.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment

Bourla remains at Pfizer

Bourla continues to serve as the chairman and CEO of Pfizer, Jerica Pitts, a Pfizer spokesperson, told USA TODAY in an email. He has also not announced any plans to resign in the future.

"Any claims to the contrary are false," Pitts said.

USA TODAY found no press releases from Pfizer or credible news coverage about Bourla stepping down from his position. His name and position are still listed on Pfizer's website.

Fact check: No, WHO chief did not say COVID-19 boosters kill children

Bourla didn't 'admit' vaccines are unsafe

USA TODAY found no evidence to suggest Bourla ever said mRNA vaccines are not safe. There is no record of such a statement on his verified Twitter account or in any press releases from Pfizer.

The clip featured in the post is from a March interview Bourla did with the Washington Post in which he explained why Pfizer decided to use mRNA technology in its COVID-19 vaccine. In the interview, Bourla said Pfizer had "less experience" using mRNA technology and he questioned its use initially, according to a transcript.

However, he explains in the clip that his colleagues believed mRNA technology was mature after working on it with BioNTech for two years developing the flu vaccine. That convinced him to use it.

"I followed my instinct that they know what they are saying," Bourla said. "They are very good, and we made this very difficult decision at that time."

Nowhere in the interview does he say mRNA technology, or vaccines, are unsafe.

Fact check: Vaccines protect against contracting, spreading COVID-19

In addition, numerous peer-reviewed research studies and reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have shown that mRNA vaccines are both safe and effective.

USA TODAY has debunked similar claims about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines, including assertions that young people were at a higher risk for death from the vaccine than from COVID-19 and that CDC data showed more children would die from the vaccine than the virus.

Contrary to the post's claim, Bourla is vaccinated. He tweeted on March 10, 2021, that he received the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.

PolitiFact and the Associated Press also debunked the claim.

Our rating: False

Based on our research, we rate FALSE the claim that Bourla is resigning and "admits" mRNA vaccines are unsafe. Bourla remains the CEO and chairman of Pfizer and has not announced any plans to resign. He has not said the vaccines are unsafe. The clip included in the post shows Bourla discussing why Pfizer used mRNA technology in its COVID-19 vaccine.

Our fact-check sources:

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: No, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla is not resigning