In a lawsuit filed against Pfizer, Inc., the state of Kansas claimed that the pharmaceutical firm misled the public about the safety of its vaccine for COVID-19.
The 69-page document, which was filed Monday in a district court in Thomas County, claims that Pfizer marketed the vaccine as safe even though it was linked to serious side effects.
According to the lawsuit, Pfizer knew that the vaccine could cause side effects, such as pericarditis and myocarditis.
The company concealed this information from the public. In addition, it claimed that the vaccine was effective despite knowing that it could wane over time.
The state of Kansas sued Pfizer, claiming that the company violated the Consumer Protection Act by failing to disclose important information about its vaccine.
The lawsuit also claims that the firm concealed the truth about the effectiveness of the vaccine and its safety risks.
The lawsuit was filed by Kris Kobach, the Republican Attorney General of Kansas.
He claims that through the company’s misrepresentations, it was able to earn a record amount of money in just two years.
The complaint also claims that millions of Kansans heard about the company’s actions regarding the vaccine. As of February 2024, Pfizer had administered over 3 million doses of the vaccine to the state.
According to the complaint, over 60% of the vaccine doses administered in the state were due to Pfizer’s misrepresentations.
The state’s lawsuit claims that the company used various methods to conceal the data related to the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine.
These include destroying the data of the vaccine’s control group, using extended timelines, and implementing confidentiality agreements.
According to the complaint, unblinding the original control group meant that the scientists, regulators, and independent experts were not able to fully assess the effectiveness and safety of Pfizer’s vaccine. The lawsuit also claimed that the company’s extensive efforts to conceal the data about the vaccine affected its transparency pledges.
According to the complaint filed by the state of Kansas, Pfizer also concealed the details about the limitations of its clinical trials regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
When the FDA permitted the use of the vaccine, the company allegedly did not disclose that only healthy individuals were participating in the trials.
The state of Kansas also claims that Pfizer made false statements about the safety of the vaccine in order to convince the public that it was safe.
It noted that the company knew that the vaccine did not contain a sufficient basis to claim that it was safe to use for people who had been diagnosed as having COVID-19, such as pregnant or lactating women.
