The Kansas Attorney General is suing Pfizer amid allegations that the company engaged in “false and misleading marketing” about the Covid-19 vaccine.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, Attorney General 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 with its allegedly false statements about the drug.
It is unknown how much the State intends to compensate.
“Pfizer made multiple misleading statements to mislead the public about its vaccine at a time when Americans needed the truth,” Kobach said in a statement.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is suing Pfizer amid allegations that the company engaged in “false and misleading marketing” about the Covid-19 vaccine.
In a lawsuit filed Monday, Kobach accused the New York-based pharmaceutical giant of downplaying the risks associated with the vaccine and making unsubstantiated claims about its effectiveness.
The lawsuit, filed in Thomas County District Court, alleges that Pfizer began concealing evidence as early as 2021, shortly after the vaccine was released.
He is accused of burying evidence showing the link between the vaccine and pregnancy complications, such as miscarriage and a condition that causes inflammation around the heart known as myocarditis and pericarditis.
Pfizer issued a statement saying the lawsuit is baseless.
“The statements made by Pfizer regarding its COVID-19 vaccine have been accurate and based on science,” Pfizer’s statement read.
In 2021, myocarditis and pericarditis were added as side effects to the vaccine label. These conditions are rare and often occur in adolescent males.
A 2023 review of 21 studies by the US National Institutes of Health found no link between the Covid vaccine and miscarriage.
The state also claims that Pfizer falsely claimed its vaccine was highly effective against additional variants and would prevent both illness and transmission.
Kobach alleges that Pfizer violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act with its allegedly false statements about the drug
Kansas is not the only state suing Pfizer. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a similar lawsuit against the drugmaker last year; The pending litigation, according to Pfizer, is also without merit.
Koback said other states are following Kansas’ lead and will soon sue Pfizer.
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 vaccines.