No, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla isn’t a reptile

A clip of an old interview showing Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla talking about the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine is circulating on social media.

In our experience, this video is accompanied by misinformation about the shots. This time, it’s offered as evidence that Bourla is a reptile. 

"Reptilian confirmed: Pfizer CEO," reads text above the video. "Watch his neck!! This is NOT a human neck."

The video then focuses on the way Bourla’s neck moves as NBC News anchor Lester Holt asks a question, and then the video cuts to a clip of a bullfrog, seemingly comparing the amphibian to Bourla.

An Instagram post sharing the video was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)

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stated on March 20, 2024 in an Instagram post

A study that found sunbathing can increase the risk of heart disease is a cover-up for the “side-effects of the vax.”

The moment in the post happens about 40 seconds into this NBC News clip. But it’s not evidence that Bourla, a human, is a reptile (or an amphibian). Rather, he appears to be swallowing or clearing his throat. 

Claims that high-profile people, such as Bourla are reptilian, are unfounded and part of a long-running conspiracy theory. 

We previously debunked a claim that Queen Elizabeth II was reptilian. In 1998, Time reported, former BBC reporter David Icke published "The Biggest Secret," a book claiming that members of the royal family "are nothing more than reptiles with crowns."  

President Joe Biden has similarly been accused of being a reptile. In 2021, we fact-checked a claim that a video proved he wasn’t human because a snake had been seen emerging from his jacket during a debate with then-President Donald Trump. It wasn’t a snake; it was a rosary Biden wears to remember his late son, Beau. 

We rate claims that Bourla is reptilian, and that this video proves it, Pants on Fire!