Former Pfizer Chief Toxicologist Exposes Failures in mRNA “Vaccine” Safety Oversight
Dr. Helmut Sterz testifies about preclinical gaps, regulatory failures, and accelerated approval behind the COVID injection rollout
Introduction
The German COVID Inquiry was established in 2025 to examine Germany’s COVID-19 response and extract lessons for future pandemics. Among recent expert testimonies, Dr. Helmut Sterz, former Pfizer Chief Toxicologist, presented a focused critique of the development and approval of mRNA-based COVID-19 “vaccines” with particular attention on Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty. He argued that these products failed to meet established international safety standards, citing major gaps in preclinical testing, deviations from regulatory guidelines, and a reliance on post-market data collection—resulting in a mass rollout without sufficient understanding of the toxicological risk.
Dr. Helmut Sterz (Dr. med. vet., born 1946), a toxicologist with a PhD in virology, appeared as an expert witness on 19 March 2026. He served as Chief Toxicologist for Pfizer Europe until 2008, where he oversaw animal safety studies central to drug approval.
The German COVID Inquiry is formally known as the Bundestag’s “Corona Enquete Commission” (Enquete-Kommission „Aufarbeitung der Corona-Pandemie und Lehren für zukünftige pandemische Ereignisse“).
This testimony from Dr. Helmut Sterz contains important insights and revelations. Below is a concise summary highlighting the key takeaways from the testimony for your convenience.
Cancer risk assessment was not completed prior to authorization. Dr. Sterz explains that carcinogenicity studies were omitted due to time constraints, leaving long-term cancer risks unexamined before rollout.
Key reproductive and developmental studies were inadequate. He describes the rat study as poorly executed, noting that it failed to provide reliable insight into fertility, pregnancy outcomes, or effects on offspring.
The approval process bypassed standard toxicological requirements. Dr. Sterz maintains that essential safety studies were skipped to accelerate authorization, referencing Robert Koch Institute protocols that documented a fast-tracked approval process where key evaluations were deferred.
Post-marketing surveillance revealed early safety signals. He points to reports of over 1,200 suspected deaths within two months of rollout, arguing that this level of signal should have triggered immediate withdrawal or reassessment.
Adverse event reporting likely underestimates true incidence. Dr. Sterz suggests that underreporting is substantial, citing estimates of underreporting factors as high as 30, which would imply tens of thousands of potential deaths rather than the few thousand officially recorded.
Key safety data has not been fully disclosed or analyzed. In his view, datasets such as SafeVac and insurance-related health data were not actively pursued or transparently released, limiting proper risk evaluation.
The benefit-risk profile is challenged by available evidence. Dr. Sterz contends that clinical trials did not demonstrate reductions in severe disease or mortality, and references an analysis suggesting that for every severe COVID case prevented, there may be roughly 25 serious adverse events.
Observed mortality trends did not improve following rollout. Dr. Sterz notes that age-adjusted mortality in Germany increased in 2021 and 2022 compared to 2020.
The marketed product differed from the trial formulation. Dr. Sterz indicates that a highly pure version was used in clinical trials, while the public received a different, mass-produced formulation due to cost and scalability constraints.
Manufacturing methods introduced potential biological contaminants. He asserts that production using Escherichia coli led to residual bacterial DNA impurities, which he suggests could contribute to elevated long-term risks, including potential oncogenic effects.
Additional Resources
Read the entire testimony (Requires translation from German) Link↗
Find other testimonies from the German COVID Inquiry (Requires translation from German) Link↗
Dr Trozzi | The True “Efficacy” of COVID-19 “Vaccines” Link↗
Covid Crimes Exposed by German RKI Files Link↗
17 Mechanisms Linking mRNA Shots to Cancer, Backed by Over 100 Studies Link↗
Newmarket Event: A Global Experiment in Genetic Modification Link↗