The Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has been accused of failing to declare significant payments from Pfizer while advocating for the Covid-19 vaccination of children during the pandemic.
During a pivotal meeting in September 2021, Prof Martin Marshall, then chair of the RCGP, supported rolling out the vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds, claiming a “strong consensus” among GPs despite the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advising against mass vaccination for this age group due to limited benefits.
However, it later emerged that the RCGP had received over £100,000 from Pfizer that year, sparking questions about transparency and potential conflicts of interest.
The revelation has prompted criticism, including from Dr. Ahmed Malik, who pointed to what he sees as a systemic lack of accountability in the medical profession.
Dr. Malik, an Irish/UK orthopedic surgeon and vocal critic of Covid-19 policies, commented on the controversy, stating, “If I took £102,820 from Pfizer and was found later not to have disclosed this at the time I was advocating their product, I would be referred to the GMC, suspended, investigated, dragged through tribunals, and then disgracefully struck off. But when it’s the Royal College of GPs….”
His remarks reflect broader concerns about the perceived double standards within the medical establishment and the influence of pharmaceutical funding on public health decisions. He concluded, “The whole profession needs an overhaul. The rot runs deep, very deep.”
The RCGP has defended its position, stating that the meeting was “purely advisory” and that the Pfizer payments—publicly disclosed and unrelated to vaccine discussions—accounted for only 0.26% of the College’s total income.
Pfizer similarly maintained that its payments were transparent and compliant “with industry regulations”. Despite these assurances, the episode has amplified calls for greater scrutiny of financial relationships between healthcare organisations and pharmaceutical companies, especially during critical public health decisions.
The rot runs deep, very deep…. also in the netherlands