Friday 7 October 2022 05:43 PM Covid-19: Pfizer faces backlash for creating pro-vaccine Marvel comic trends now
Pfizer's Covid vaccine comic was today slammed as 'ethically dubious in the extreme' for trying to appeal to children.
The pharmaceutical giant partnered with Marvel to release the 'Everyday Heroes' strip yesterday, in a push to encourage people to get a booster jab.
It features the Avengers fighting off the villain Ultron, in a symbolic metaphor of Pfizer's push against Covid with the vaccine.
The comic's release comes amid sluggish uptake of the booster vaccine in the US.
Pfizer said the comic was attempting to encourage people to 'protect themselves' by 'staying up to date' with their jabs.
Pfizer has released a Marvel-themed story to explain how its Covid vaccine works. It features a grandfather and his family who get a Covid vaccine (bottom), the Avengers who represent the Covid vaccines (middle) and Ironman (in red, shown above) who represents the new Covid vaccine, and Ultron (top left) who represents Covid's evolution
The grandpa is shown waiting at a clinic for his Covid vaccine with his family when a newsflash comes on warning over Ultron — or Omicron
Professor David Livermore, a former medical microbiologist at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline he is 'deeply saddened' by the PR stunt
The comic ends with the grandpa smiling after receiving his updated booster vaccine, with the Avengers in the background being cheered by crowds