Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer, Albert Bourla recently received his first dose of his company's coronavirus vaccine.
The 59-year-old executive told CNBC in December that he would wait his turn to get the shot.
Over the weekend, Bourla finally got vaccinated, telling Axios that he feels "liberated" after gaining the protection the vaccine offers.
He won't be sufficiently immune to return to some semblance of normality until about two weeks after his second dose, but according to new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, next month Bourla will be able to see other fully vaccinated people indoors and without a mask.
Thanks for the interview, @caitlinnowens. We’ll continue to let science be our guide.
The Pfizer-BioNTech #COVID19 vaccine has not been approved or licensed by US FDA but has been authorized for emergency use to prevent COVID-19 in ages 16+. Fact Sheet: https://t.co/ENvj6P2vv2 https://t.co/wt9qwykk8C
— Albert Bourla (@AlbertBourla) March 9, 2021
Bourla said he'd advise his family members to get any vaccine that was offered to them.
"This is a pandemic. The vaccines that are approved by the FDA are all vaccines that are meeting the threshold," he said.
"If it was the case, can I get a vaccine now—any vaccine now—or a vaccine that I prefer two months later, I would go with whatever I can get now."
So far, three vaccines created by Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson, have been approved for use in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration.
*More on GCT: Pfizer’s Greek CEO Albert Bourla named a Father of the Year
