Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach has filed a lawsuit against Pfizer over alleged false claims regarding the safety and effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine. The lawsuit targets misleading marketing practices and violations of the state’s Consumer Protection Act.
Attorney General Kris Kobach launched a civil complaint against pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer on Monday, stating that “Pfizer misled the public that it had a ‘safe and effective’ COVID-19 vaccine,” which violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act.
The government is seeking “civil monetary penalties, damages, and injunctive relief from misleading and deceptive statements made in marketing its COVID-19 vaccine,” stated Kobach.
Kobach claims in the complaint (pdf below) that Pfizer purposefully withheld, censored, and omitted important information about the COVID-19 vaccine, including the “most egregious” facts about the vaccine’s safety for expectant mothers, its efficacy against variations, and its capacity to halt transmission.
You can watch the video below:
“Pfizer marketed its vaccine as safe for pregnant women,” Kobach said. “However, in February of 2021 (they) possessed reports of 458 pregnant women who received Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. More than half of the pregnant women reported an adverse event, and more than 10% reported a miscarriage.”
A February 2022 study published in the journal Medicine found that pregnant women experienced an approximate 17 percent higher percentage of “adverse events” compared to the general population. “Adverse events” is a phrase used to describe any unfavorable reaction.
Preliminary results from a previous study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in April 2021 showed no significant safety concerns among pregnant women who received the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, suggesting that the miscarriages that were observed were not unusual and were probably not caused directly by the vaccine.
According to Kobach, Pfizer advertised the vaccine as safe for use in treating heart problems such pericarditis and myocarditis. He brought up an inquiry made in January 2023 to Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla about whether the vaccination resulted in severe myocarditis. Bourla replied, “We have not seen a single signal, although we have distributed billions of doses.”
“However, as Pfizer knew, the United States Government, the United States Military foreign governments and others have found that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine caused myocarditis and pericarditis,” Kobach said.
Cases of myocarditis and pericarditis brought on by the COVID-19 vaccine are uncommon, according to the CDC, and the majority of patients report remission of symptoms by the time they are discharged from the hospital.
“Even though data available at the time showed Pfizer’s vaccine was effective less than half the time,” according to Kobach, Pfizer promoted its vaccination as effective against COVID-19 variations.
His last accusation in the case was that the company misrepresented the vaccine in its marketing as preventing transmission.
“Pfizer urged Americans to get vaccinated in order to protect their loved ones, clearly indicating a claim that Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccination stopped transmission,” Kobach said. “Pfizer later admitted that they’ve never even studied transmission after the recipients receive the vaccine.”
Pfizer responded in a statement that the COVID-19 vaccine had saved many lives and that the company’s assertions regarding the vaccine were true and supported by science.
The statement stated, “The company will respond to the suit in due course and believes that the state’s case has no merit.” “Pfizer has no higher priority than ensuring the safety and effectiveness of its treatments and vaccines. Pfizer is deeply committed to the well-being of the patients it serves.”
Although Kobach claims five other states will be joining, Kansas is the only state to initiate a lawsuit of this kind. They’ll each make an announcement on their own. Idaho is the only other confirmed state.
“More suits may follow, depending on Pfizer’s reaction,” Kobach said.
Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Pfizer in 2023, alleging that the firm had “unlawfully misrepresented the effectiveness of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine and attempted to censor public discussion of the product.” A further foundation for that lawsuit was the state’s Consumer Protection Act.
Thomas County is where the case is filed. According to Kobach, this is because they wanted to relocate to an area with a less demanding schedule to ensure they had the time to handle it.
Kobach refused to respond when asked if he had received the Pfizer vaccination. “I think whether I’ve received the vaccination is irrelevant to the lawsuit, it’s not about me,” he said. “It’s about the statements that were made to the people of Kansas.”
You can read the complaint below:
2024-06-15-pfizer-complaint-002