Texas lawsuit claims Pfizer exaggerated effectiveness of Covid vaccine – The Guardian US

Texas

State attorney general Ken Paxton files suit despite medical consensus that vaccine prevents severe infection and death

The attorney general of Texas is suing the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, alleging that it exaggerated the effectiveness of its Covid-19 vaccine and deceived the public.

Ken Paxton announced the lawsuit on Thursday after filing it in Lubbock state district court in north-west Texas, the Texas Tribune reported.

Paxtons suit comes as a consensus of health experts and scientists have said that the vaccine prevents severe infection and death from Covid-19.

Paxton accused Pfizer of [engaging] in false, deceptive, and misleading acts and practices by making unsupported claims regarding the companys Covid-19 vaccine in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, according to a press release shared to X, formerly known as Twitter.

Paxton argued that Pfizers claims about effectiveness implied that it would effectively end the Covid-19 pandemic, and that it failed to do so within a year of being introduced.

The lawsuit also added that claims the vaccine was 95% effective were not accurate, and that Covid-19 infection as well as death rates worsened as the vaccine became increasingly available.

Pfizer released results on the effectiveness of Covid in November 2020, finding that the shot was 95% effective in the first 28 days after receiving the vaccine.

The suit also claims that Pfizer [conspired] to silence those who were critical of the shot, common arguments made amid other anti-vaccine figures.

Paxtons suit asks that Pfizer be prohibited from making representations about the efficacy of its Covid-19 vaccine, the Hill reported.

The attorney general is also requesting $10,000 for every alleged violation by Pfizer, in addition to other financial restitution. The total civil penalties against Pfizer total up to more than $10m, according to Reuters.

In a statement, Pfizer said the states case has no merit, adding that the vaccine has been administered to 1.5 billion people and helped protect against severe Covid-19 outcomes, including hospitalization and death.

The representations made by the company about its Covid-19 vaccine have been accurate and science-based, it read.

The lawsuit is Paxtons second against Pfizer in November. The attorney general previously sued the pharmaceutical company and an additional supplier for allegedly altering quality-control tests on ADHD medication for children.

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Texas lawsuit claims Pfizer exaggerated effectiveness of Covid vaccine - The Guardian US