(NewsNation) — The state of Kansas has sued the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, accusing it of misleading the public about its COVID-19 vaccine by making false claims about its effectiveness.
In the lawsuit filed Monday, Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach claims Pfizer misled Kansas residents by claiming the vaccine was safe and hid evidence of the shot’s link to myocarditis and pregnancy issues.
“Pfizer made multiple misleading statements to deceive the public about its vaccine at a time when Americans needed the truth,” he said in a statement.
Watch Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach discuss the lawsuit on “CUOMO” on June 20 at 8p/7C. Find your channel here. Get fact–based, unbiased news coverage 24/7 with the NewsNation app.
‘Millions of Kansans heard Pfizer’s misrepresentations’: Lawsuit
Kobach claims Pfizer’s alleged false statements violated the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. The state is seeking unspecified monetary damages.
“Millions of Kansans heard Pfizer’s misrepresentations about its COVID-19 vaccine,” according to the suit.
The complaint alleges Pfizer earned “record company revenue” of approximately $75 billion in just two years through its “misrepresentations” of the vaccine.
“For example, Pfizer administered 3,355,518 Pfizer vaccine doses in Kansas as of February 7, 2024. This accounted for more than 60% of all vaccine doses in Kansas,” the suit alleges, citing Kansas’ Department of Health Data.
Additionally, the complaint claims Pfizer gave residents a false impression when it claimed its vaccine was effective, but “knew” the shot waned over time and did not protect against COVID-19 variants.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2021 added a warning about myocarditis and pericarditis, both rare heart inflammation conditions, to Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines.
COVID-19 vaccine studies conducted last year by the National Institutes of Health found no evidence the shots are linked to an increased risk of miscarriage.
Does Pfizer plan to respond?
In a statement to The Hill, Pfizer claims the case has “no merit” and plans to respond to the lawsuit in “due course.”
“We are proud to have developed the COVID-19 vaccine in record time in the midst of a global pandemic and saved countless lives. The representations made by Pfizer about its COVID-19 vaccine have been accurate and science-based,” the company said.
COVID-19 vaccine linked to possible health issues: Study
Kobach’s lawsuit comes as a new study discovered possible links between COVID-19 vaccines and possible neurological, blood and heart-related conditions.
The new study is the largest of its kind since the pandemic began and could reignite the debate over the risks and benefits of the vaccine.
Additionally, the complaint follows a similar lawsuit filed last year by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, which claims Pfizer misled the public when it claimed the shot was 95% effective. The case is pending.
Over the past three years, more than 13.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered around the world. The World Health Organization recently announced vaccination has saved at least 1.5 million lives in Europe alone.
More than 366 million doses of Pfizer’s original BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the U.S.
NewsNation’s correspondent Nancy Loo and The Hill contributed to this report.