Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) questioned Vice President JD Vance‘s silence after the Trump administration established billions for Pfizer Inc.‘s (NYSE:PFE) COVID-19 vaccine contracts for 2026 and 2027.
On Sunday, Massie revived Vance’s COVID vaccine comments from the Joe Rogan podcast in 2024. Vance had described getting severely ill after his vaccine, bedridden for two days with a racing heart, calling it the sickest he’s been in 15 years, worse than his five COVID infections, which were milder, like sinus issues. Vance had also stated that he got “red-pilled” after the vaccine impact.
Massie asked why the Vice President did not oppose when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established a $1.24 billion contract with Pfizer for more COVID shots, in June this year, despite being critical of the vaccines and their impact.
“So why isn’t he speaking out now,” Massie wrote.
Vance’s office and Pfizer did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
RFK Jr. Clarifies Pfizer Contracts
Not just Massie, but Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), had also written to the Health and Human Services (HHS), CDC and Food and Drug Administration (FDA), raising concerns about the two contracts for Pfizer’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, pediatric and adult, awarded at nearly $1.24 billion, despite the FDA assessing ten cases of pediatric deaths to be probably linked to these vaccines.
However, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. disputed claims that the government had already spent $1.24 billion on COVID-19 vaccines, saying the CDC’s agreements with Pfizer are Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts. He explained that these contracts establish a framework for potential future purchases but do not commit the government to immediate spending, with vaccine orders placed only as needed.
Sen. Johnson had later acknowledged RFK Jr.’s explanation of the details.
Notably, in April, Pfizer and its German vaccine partner BioNTech SE (NASDAQ:BNTX) halted enrollment in a large U.S. trial of their updated COVID-19 vaccine for adults aged 50–64 after failing to recruit enough participants, and have notified the FDA of the decision.
Trump, GOP Oppose Vaccine Mandates
The Republican Party has generally opposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates, arguing that vaccination decisions should be left to individuals rather than required by governments or employers. President Donald Trump has praised the COVID-19 vaccine as one of the “greatest” achievements while maintaining that vaccination should be a personal choice and not a mandate.
Like Vance, Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk said his second COVID-19 vaccine dose caused a severe reaction that “almost” sent him to the hospital and made him feel like he was dying. In contrast, he described his experience with the original COVID-19 infection as similar to a bad cold or flu, saying it was “bad, but not terrible.”
Notably, in April, the acting CDC director, Jay Bhattacharya, reportedly delayed publication of a CDC study showing COVID-19 vaccines reduced ER visits by 50% and hospitalizations by 55% among healthy adults, citing methodology concerns despite the approach being widely used.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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