By: Nikita Kochhar
October 18 2021
False: Pfizer experimented on orphan babies to test its COVID-19 vaccine.
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Fact-Check
The Verdict False
Pfizer started its clinical trials on children aged six to 11 months. There is no evidence that these children were orphans.
Claim ID fbe21d6c
Pfizer started its clinical trials on children aged six to 11 months. There is no evidence that these children were orphans.A report in The Conservative Woman, a media outlet known to be highly biased, claimed that drugmaker Pfizer is accused of vaccinating orphan babies during the trials of its COVID-19 vaccine. The report has been attributed to the campaign group "Children's Health Defense," which is known for spreading anti-vaccine misinformation. The Conservative Woman report also claims that Polish whistleblowers said that the drugmaker is conducting experiments on six-month-old orphan babies to test their new vaccines, adding that "Pfizer seems to be operating outside legal boundaries." It adds that a group of medical professionals, lawyers, and activists met the Polish parliament and senate members in Warsaw to discuss ethical and legal issues around the medical tests on children and infants. Adding that Pfizer refused to reveal information on these trials because of "secrecy clauses" in its procurement contract, the report further claims that these whistleblowers have "audio-recordings from July and August of this year that "can serve as evidence in a criminal case." However, the report has no mention of the details of the whistleblower or any proof of the audio recordings. Even if the group has an audio recording, the authenticity of the same is unknown. According to a CNBC report dated March 25, 2021, Pfizer started a clinical trial, testing its COVID-19 vaccine on healthy children aged six months to 11. It was a crucial step to get a clearance from the federal regulatory and vaccinate young kids. Pfizer announced that it intends to enroll 144 children in its phase 1 trials, adding that the children will initially receive a 10-microgram dose of the vaccine before moving to higher doses. The participants of the tests would be "selected randomly," Pfizer said. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.