"BIG PHARMA CORONAVIRUS BIG MONEY SCAM," SAY EX-WHITE HOUSE DRUG SPOKESMAN BOB WEINER & POLICY ANALYST WESAM FARAH
Robert Weiner
Wesam Farah
Weiner and Farah pointing out, “The pharma lobby spent over $460 million in DC last year. As coronavirus fears spike, drug companies prepare to line their pockets, as they regularly do.”
They explain, “The problem taxpayers face with every disease scare, e.g bird flu, SARS, swine flu, ebola, is a familiar cycle. First, we allow speculation-based terror to strangle the public discourse. As a result, gargantuan sums of cash get funneled into pharmaceutical conglomerates on the taxpayer dime--which then results in vaccines sold at a massive profit to a population that reaps minimal return.”
They continue, “With the climbing death toll and incidence of COVID-19, it may appear tempting to throw money into the hands of all-too-eager pharmaceutical executives, whilst hoping the virus dissipates at the sight of the almighty taxpayer dollar.”
They write, “It's the Coronavirus Big Pharma Money Scam.”
They contend, “Before we line Big Pharma's coffers once again, let's at least make sure most of that money finds its way back to the people footing the bill.”
They assert, “This is not to suggest that the coronavirus is benign and/or harmless. Not at all. However, the pharmaceutical industry has a vested interest in profiting off government funds that results when fear overcomes reason and the voices of scientists are drowned out by pharma reps. When experts are ignored in lieu of pharma-lobby induced terror, we risk an egregious waste of taxpayer dollars.”
They continue, “While we chew our nails over the 100 U.S deaths so far, it should be stressed that 20,000 Americans have died from the flu alone this season. Last year over 34,000 Americans died from influenza, and that is only half as much as the year before.”
They go on, “For comparison, for H1N1, we poured $8 billion into that scare. To no one's surprise, the pharma industry walked away with a healthy payday.”
They write, “Congress is currently pouring billions into a vaccine effective over a year from now for a disease that is barely affecting America, and will unlikely be made affordable to the general public in time. Simultaneously the flu vaccine, which almost every American is recommended to take, is still running on 70-year-old technology which health officials have stressed is due for a major update.”
They explain, “But as it happens, virus scares are quite profitable. The flu shot, not so much. The growing vaccine market is thought to be valued at upwards of $20 billion. Thus, Big Pharma's influence over Capitol Hill tightens as it sinks its tendrils into various administrative departments responsible for amounts of funding to be allocated, where, and how much of said vaccine will be stockpiled.”
They go on, “For instance, Donald Trump's first response was a meeting with pharmaceutical representatives to discuss a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Only a week later did he announce his intention to visit the CDC. Why? Trump's foremost consultation should be with a team of qualified scientists and advisors, not pharma reps. Pharma reps apparently are not concerned primarily with the health or betterment of America; their dedication lies in bolstering their bottom line.”
They go on, “Trump is meeting with these pharma reps because they know that they can squeeze a healthy-sized grant out of him and the rest of Congress.”
They contend, “It is no coincidence that our HHS Secretary is a former pharmaceutical executive, whose ties to his former companies have made watchdog organizations cry foul. When drug companies exploit fear to pressure governments into funding them on the taxpayer dime, they win both ways: socialized funding, with privatized profits.”
They write, “Thus, Congress's ambiguous $8.3-billion plan should be alarming for taxpayers. Why should they have to pay twice? And where is the outrage to fund heart disease, which kills 650,000 Americans per year? Breast cancer alone kills 50,000."
They assert, “Congressional allocation of funding should be guided by qualified experts who possess no conflict of interest or vested ties to the pharmaceutical companies in order to de-incentivize profiteering and of virus fears and panic. Virus vaccination, whenever it is ready, if we are genuinely still afraid of the spreading illness, must be free.”
They conclude, “It is time for striking a delicate balance of financial prudence that lies between caution and hysteria.”
Link to published article: https://www.opednews.com/articles/The-Coronavirus-Big-Pharma-by-Robert-Weiner-Coronavirus-Pandemic_Covid-19_Health_Health-200317-955.html
Robert Weiner and Ben Lasky
Weiner Public News
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