Kansas sues Pfizer over claims of misleading vaccine efficacy
The American state of Kansas has sued Pfizer, accusing the company of misleading the public about the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine. The lawsuit involves allegations of hiding the risks of taking the dose and making false claims about the vaccine's efficacy in fighting the coronavirus. Four years after the pandemic began, the company faces serious trouble.
According to Reuters, the lawsuit was filed in the Thomas County District Court. The state of Kansas is seeking unspecified damages from the New York-based drug manufacturer.
"Pfizer made many misleading statements to deceive the public about its vaccine at a time when Americans needed the truth," said Kris Kobach, the Republican Attorney General of Kansas, as quoted by the agency.
What exactly is the issue? "The lawsuit alleges that shortly after the vaccine was introduced to the market in early 2021, Pfizer concealed evidence that taking the vaccine dose was associated with pregnancy complications, including miscarriage, as well as inflammatory conditions in and around the heart, known as myocarditis and pericarditis," reports the press agency.
Pfizer responds to allegations regarding the COVID-19 vaccine
Furthermore, the American state claims that Pfizer, which developed the vaccine jointly with its German partner BioNTech for the original version of COVID-19, falsely stated that it is equally effective against mutated variants.
"Pfizer's statements about the COVID-19 vaccine were accurate and scientifically grounded," Pfizer responds, arguing that the Kansas lawsuit is baseless.
In June 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration added a warning about myocarditis and pericarditis to the vaccine's label. "Adverse effects are rare and most commonly occur in adolescent boys and young men," Reuters reports.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health stated in 2023 that there is no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines are linked to miscarriages.
More lawsuits to come?
On Monday at 17:00 GMT, Kris Kobach noted that other U.S. states collaborated with Kansas in gathering materials for the lawsuit, so he expects this will not be the last action taken against Pfizer.
Reuters adds that the Attorney General of Texas filed a similar lawsuit against Pfizer last year. The case, which the manufacturer also calls baseless, is ongoing.
"Pfizer deliberately misrepresented the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine and censored those who threatened to spread the truth to facilitate the rapid adoption of the product and enhance its commercial potential," the lawsuit states.
Pfizer reported that over 1.5 billion people have received its coronavirus vaccine. The manufacturer achieved over £61 billion in revenue in 2021 and 2022 related to COVID-19 vaccinations.
