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The Kansas Attorney General is suing Pfizer amidst claims the firm engaged in 'false and misleading marketing' over the Covid-19 vaccine
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In a lawsuit filed Monday, AG Kris Kobach accused the New York-based pharmaceutical giant of downplaying the risks associated with the vaccine and making unsubstantiated claims about its effectiveness. Kobach alleges that Pfizer violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act through its purportedly false statements about the drug. The state has not disclosed the amount of compensation it is seeking.
“Pfizer made multiple misleading statements to deceive the public about its vaccine at a time when Americans needed the truth,” Kobach said in a statement.
The suit, filed in the District Court of Thomas County, alleges that Pfizer began hiding evidence as early as 2021, shortly after the vaccine’s release. The company is accused of burying evidence showing a link between the vaccine and pregnancy complications, such as miscarriage, and a condition causing inflammation around the heart known as myocarditis and pericarditis.
Covid-19 Vaccination
In response, Pfizer released a statement claiming the suit has no merit. “The representations made by Pfizer about its COVID-19 vaccine have been accurate and science-based,” the company said. Pfizer noted that myocarditis and pericarditis were added as side effects to the vaccine’s label in 2021, highlighting that these conditions are rare and often occur in adolescent males. Additionally, a 2023 review of 21 studies by the U.S. National Institutes of Health found no link between the Covid vaccine and miscarriage.
The state also contends that Pfizer falsely claimed its vaccine was highly effective against additional variants and that it would prevent both illness and transmission. Kansas is not the only state suing Pfizer; Texas AG Ken Paxton filed a similar lawsuit against the drugmaker last year. Pfizer maintains that these pending litigations have no merit.
Kobach indicated that other states are following Kansas’s lead and will be suing Pfizer soon. The Pfizer vaccine was developed with German partner BioNTech for the original strain of the virus. BioNTech is not a defendant in the case.During the height of the pandemic, there was a rush to get vaccinated due to the urgency of the situation and the rapid development of the vaccines.
From Daily Mail
