On The Hot Seat

When the seat gets warmer, people under direct questioning, start feeling uncomfortable. This appeared to be the case when Moderna CEO, Stéphane Bancel was questioned by U.S. Senator Rand Paul at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on March 22, 2023. The initial focus of the questioning was whether Bancel believed that there was a conflict of interest created when Moderna late last year, paid $400,000 to the NIH (National Institute of Health). This large payment could be construed as possibly influencing the NIH to make public health policy decisions favorable to Moderna's operations and profits. The other line of questioning posed to Mr. Bancel focused on the question of the increased risk of myocarditis in young men who are Covid vaccinated. As in everything, you be the judge of their interaction.