Book Review: The Pfizer Papers: Crimes Against Humanity by Naomi Wolf

Many know of Naomi Wolf as author of the book, The Beauty Myth, and her contributions to feminist theory, which have been widely studied in universities worldwide. In recent years, she has become critical of the government overreach during and after the Covid pandemic. She was critical of mandatory vaccination based on her adherence to bodily autonomy, which she explains in her other book: Bodies of Others: The New Authoritarians, COVID-19 and the War Against the Human. 

Her newest book, The Pfizer Papers: Crimes Against Humanity, represents an analysis of internal Pfizer documents which the FDA refused to release.

The data emerged following a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency, which successfully compelled the FDA to release 450,000 pages of Pfizer documents that had previously remained unavailable to the public. Wolf assembled a team of approximately 3,500 volunteer scientists, doctors, nurses, and medical professionals to systematically analyze these materials. The book synthesizes their findings into a comprehensive critique of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine development, clinical trials, and safety monitoring practices.

You can hear her explain the findings in this presentation:

Background on the Release of the Papers: The FDA Document Withholding Case

A nonprofit organization called Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency (PHMPT)—composed of over 30 medical and public health professionals from institutions including Harvard, Yale, and UCLA—filed a FOIA request for documents related to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.  The FDA initially proposed releasing documents at 500 pages per month, which would take 75 years, claiming the request would otherwise require processing 80,000 pages monthly, which the agency said was unprecedented and impossible with its existing staff.

In January 2022, a federal judge gave the FDA eight months to release the data instead of 75 years. The court found the request was of "paramount" public importance.

Even after the court order, the FDA and Pfizer sought further delays. The FDA insisted on delaying its first 55,000-page production until May 1, 2022—four months after the court entered its order—though the FDA's own papers indicated it could produce at that rate in February and March.

In December 2024, U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman issued another ruling after discovering the FDA had withheld an entire additional million pages of Pfizer clinical trial documents. The FDA was ordered to produce the remaining documents by June 30, 2025, with the judge noting that the pandemic had long passed and there was no legitimate reason for concealing the information. This case demonstrates significant resistance and non-compliance by the FDA despite court orders requiring transparency.

Clinical Trial Design and Integrity Concerns

A central argument of the book concerns fundamental flaws in Pfizer's clinical trial design. Wolf and her team assert that Pfizer's trial was severely compromised by the rapid vaccination of the placebo control group. According to the analysis, Pfizer had committed in its trial protocol to maintain the placebo arm for twenty-four months to establish long-term safety data. However, the company vaccinated approximately 95 percent of placebo recipients by March 2021, effectively eliminating the control group within months of the trial's initiation. This decision, the authors contend, made it impossible for researchers to conduct meaningful comparative safety assessments and destroyed the scientific integrity necessary to establish long-term safety profiles.

The documents, according to Wolf's interpretation, also reveal that Pfizer was aware of significant inadequacies in its trial methodology and safety data collection from the outset. She argues that these design flaws were not incidental oversights but rather deliberate choices that prioritized expedited authorization over rigorous safety verification. The elimination of the control group prevented the type of longitudinal comparative analysis that would have been necessary to identify delayed adverse events.

Adverse Events and Safety Data

The book extensively details adverse event reports that Pfizer received following the vaccine's December 2020 emergency use authorization. According to Wolf's analysis, over 42,000 case reports describing 158,893 adverse events were reported to Pfizer in the first three months following authorization alone. The volume of reports was so substantial that the company added 600 additional employees to process them, with plans to hire 1,800 staff members by mid-2021 to manage the incoming data.

Wolf highlights what she describes as "one of the most damning reports in this book"—analysis by Australian anesthesiologist Dr. Jeyanthi Kunadhasan's team. This group found that Pfizer deliberately delayed recording deaths in its adverse event database so that these deaths would not have to be included in the emergency use authorization filing data. The researchers concluded that if deaths had been recorded and reported in a timely manner, the FDA would not have been able to grant emergency authorization.

The documented adverse events reportedly included deaths, strokes, infertility concerns, neurological symptoms, cardiac events, blood clotting disorders, and cases of COVID-19 itself among vaccinated individuals. Wolf notes this last finding as particularly significant: the most commonly reported adverse event in Pfizer's own safety database was COVID-19 infection among the vaccinated population.

Distribution and Biodistribution Claims

The book addresses claims about the distribution of vaccine components throughout the body. Wolf reports that Pfizer's own internal documents demonstrated that the company assured the public that vaccine materials would remain localized at the injection site, while simultaneously possessing data showing otherwise. According to her analysis of the documents, spike protein, messenger RNA, and lipid nanoparticles spread throughout the body within forty-eight hours of injection, accumulating in organs including the liver, spleen, reproductive tissues, and bone marrow.

Additionally, the analysis includes claims regarding transmission of vaccine components from vaccinated to unvaccinated individuals. The book asserts that the documents contain evidence suggesting spike proteins and other vaccine materials could be transmitted through inhalation, skin contact, and sweat from vaccinated to unvaccinated persons, though this remains a contested interpretation of the data.

Reproductive and Pregnancy-Related Concerns

A significant portion of the book focuses on reproductive health impacts. Wolf emphasizes that Pfizer conducted substantial research measuring reproductive damages caused by the mRNA vaccine. The documents allegedly show that pregnant women were included in safety monitoring despite initial exclusion from trials, and that adverse events during pregnancy, including miscarriage reports, were documented. Wolf asserts that Pfizer's own research focused deliberately on reproductive system impacts, which she interprets as evidence of intentional targeting of human reproduction.

Regulatory Failure Claims

The book argues extensively that the FDA bore responsibility for inadequate oversight. Wolf contends that the regulatory agency was aware of the shortfalls in Pfizer's clinical trial design, the inadequacy of its safety monitoring procedures, and the serious adverse events being reported, yet proceeded with approval and licensure. She interprets this as a failure of the FDA to fulfill its stated mission to protect public health by ensuring drug safety and efficacy. The analysis suggests a regulatory capture scenario in which the FDA was insufficiently independent from industry pressure.

Central Thesis and Interpretation

Wolf frames the documents as evidence supporting her contention that Pfizer's actions constitute crimes against humanity—a serious characterization she notes she uses deliberately given her family's Holocaust history. Her core argument is that the documents demonstrate not carelessness or unintended consequences, but rather intentional knowledge of harms combined with active concealment and promotion of the vaccine product to a public deceived about its safety and efficacy profile.

Conclusion

"The Pfizer Papers" presents a detailed critical examination of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine development and authorization processes based on court-released documents. Wolf's analysis raises questions about clinical trial design, adverse event reporting, regulatory oversight, and the completeness of pre-authorization safety evaluation. Whether one accepts her conclusions or not, the book represents a significant effort to make previously unavailable internal corporate documents subject to public scrutiny and expert analysis, contributing to an ongoing public debate regarding vaccine safety, corporate accountability, and regulatory independence.