Marketing Firm Providing PR for Moderna and Pfizer Also Staffed the CDC’s Vaccine Office
This is a Prime Example of Corporate Capture
This is Why mRNA was Pushed as the Genetic "Vaccine" of Choice
This story about the marketing firm Weber Shandwick working within the CDC broke last year but it is worth sharing here.
Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-11303017/PR-firm-represents-Pfizer-Moderna-sits-CDC-vaccine-advisory-committee.html
This is a prime example of corporate capture of a government agency.
What is Corporate Capture?
Source: https://www.escr-net.org/news/2018/watch-video-animation-corporate-capture
“Corporate capture” is a phenomenon where private industry uses its political influence to take control of the decision-making apparatus of the state, such as regulatory agencies, law enforcement entities, and legislatures.
Weber Shandwick is the Second Largest PR Agency in the World
Weber Shandwick, the second largest public relations agency in the world, was founded 20 years ago. Weber Shandwick is a full-service firm, with a balanced portfolio across corporate and public affairs, consumer marketing, as well as sector strength in health and technology, spanning areas from research to management consulting to healthcare. With 19 US offices and three in Canada, Weber Shandwick has strong coverage across North America. Weber Shandwick is a top three PR agency in the UK market, its largest operation in EMEA, and is also among the market leaders in the Nordics, Germany, the Middle East and Africa. There are more than 900 staffers across a 10-market regional footprint that features major operations in Greater China (500 people), North Asia, Singapore and India.
The PR firm Weber Shandwick has represented Pfizer since at least 2003, having been brought on to assist with marketing around Viagra pills and other treatments. The firm began providing public relations support to Moderna in June 2020. This was around the time the marketing firm was awarded a federal contract from the CDC.
Source: https://www.mmm-online.com/home/channel/campaigns/weber-shandwick-wins-potential-50m-cdc-flu-vaccine-comms-account/
Weber Shandwick embedded a marketing unit within the CDC National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), the CDC group that implements vaccine programs and oversees the work of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Source: https://twitter.com/thackerpd/status/1579792502655418368
Weber's contract with CDC was worth up to $55.2 million and was being paid in part using COVID-19 emergency funds. Since the initial award, CDC the agreement could be extended for another four years until the end of September 2025.
This is a Clear Conflict of Interest
Questions were raised about a possible conflict of interest as it emerged the company was hired by the CDC during the pandemic to boost its 'health communication'.
“This is irresponsible of CDC to issue a PR contract to Weber Shandwick, knowing that the firm also works for Moderna and Pfizer,” emailed Public Citizen’s Craig Holman, a lobbyist. “It raises legitimate questions of whose interests Weber Shandwick will put first – their private sector clients or the public’s interest at NCIRD.”
The marketing unit responsibilities included distributing social media posts and articles promoting vaccines, and sending press releases to the media. It was also involved in 'paid media placement', a common euphemism for advertising.
Weber’s duties include providing 10 on-site health communications staffers, seven health comms specialists, two health research specialists and one social media specialist. The agency’s earned media responsibilities include generating story ideas, distributing articles and conducting outreach to news, media and entertainment organizations. It also includes conducting satellite radio and TV tours, providing spokesperson training and reaching out to celebrities or entertainment media.
Senator Rand Paul sent a letter of inquiry to then Director of CDC Rachelle Walensky about his concerns with regards to using the same PR firm as Pfizer. The senator also requested additional information in the form of unredacted documents regarding the nature of Weber's work for the NCIRD.
Source: full document available at https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23180971/senator-rand-paul-letter-to-cdc-on-weber-shandwick.pdf
“The American people deserve transparency and these conflicts of interest will be thoroughly investigated by our committee next year,” wrote the Senator’s spokesperson.
Source: https://www.escr-net.org/comic-series/power-99-stop-corporate-capture
Clearly this was not about public health but about promoting a pharmaceutical product and what better way to do that than from within the federal agency tasked with protecting the health of Americans.
$$$ As always follow the money $$$