Pfizer sued in US for hiding adverse effects of COVID vaccine

Tuesday, 18 June 2024 10:32 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 18 June 2024 10:32 AM ]

A man walks by Pfizer headquarters on February 5, 2021, in New York, the US. (Photo by AP)

The US state of Kansas has sued Pfizer, accusing the pharmaceutical company of making “misleading claims” about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine and hiding its risks.

The lawsuit was filed by Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach in the District Court of Thomas County on Monday.

“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 the suit, the New York-based company falsely claimed that its vaccine retained a high effectiveness against COVID-19 variants, while it “knew” the shot waned over time and did not protect against mutated variants.

The state said the "false" statements violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act, seeking unspecified money damages.

The lawsuit also alleged that Pfizer misled Kansas residents about the risks of the shot when it concealed evidence that it was linked to pregnancy complications, including miscarriage, as well as rare heart inflammation conditions known as myocarditis and pericarditis.

"Pfizer said its COVID-19 vaccine was safe even though it knew its COVID-19 vaccine was connected to serious adverse events, including myocarditis and pericarditis, failed pregnancies, and deaths. Pfizer concealed this critical safety information from the public," the lawsuit alleged, as reported by Fox News.

Pfizer said it believed the case had “no merit,” adding, “The representations made by Pfizer about its COVID-19 vaccine have been accurate and science-based.”

Last year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a similar lawsuit against Pfizer, which remains pending.

Other states are also expected to file lawsuits, according to Kansas Attorney General.