Kansas AG sues Pfizer for allegedly misleading public about its COVID-19 vaccine

Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach sued the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer on Monday, claiming the company was not honest with the American public about its COVID-19 vaccine by downplaying the risks and exaggerating its effectiveness.

Pfizer was one of a handful of major U.S. pharmaceutical companies that got Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. But the state of Kansas is now alleging that the company was dishonest about the risks, which include a rare complication that could cause inflammation in or around the heart.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the District Court of Thomas County, also claimed the vaccine had increased risks for pregnant women, including increasing the risk of the mother having a miscarriage. But a 2023 review of 21 studies by a group from the University of Edinburgh did not find a correlation between the vaccine and miscarriages.

"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, according to Reuters. 

"Pfizer said its COVID-19 vaccine was effective even though it knew its COVID-19 vaccine waned over time and did not protect against COVID-19 variants," the suit said, per Fox Business.

Pfizer responded to the lawsuit, claiming it does not believe the suit has any merit, and that it was proud to have created the vaccine so quickly. 

"The representations made by Pfizer about its COVID-19 vaccine have been accurate and science-based," Pfizer said in its statement to local media. “Pfizer is deeply committed to the well-being of the patients it serves and has no higher priority than ensuring the safety and effectiveness of its treatments and vaccines."

The lawsuit comes after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a similar one in the Lone Star state last year, and though other lawsuits are expected to follow the Kansas' lawsuit, Texas's lawsuit is still pending.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.