Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has taken legal action against pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, Inc., accusing the company of engaging in deceptive practices concerning its COVID-19 vaccine.
The lawsuit asserts that Pfizer misrepresented the vaccine’s effectiveness, specifically questioning the claim of 95% efficacy, and alleges that the company attempted to suppress public discussion on the matter.
Attorney General Paxton accuses Pfizer of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act through “false, deceptive, and misleading acts and practices.”
The legal action emphasizes the company’s claims of a 95% efficacy rate against COVID-19 infection, contending that this claim relied on “relative risk reduction” as per Pfizer’s initial short-term clinical trial findings.
It is argued that this statistic is misleading and should not be employed to unfairly influence consumer choices, especially considering the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted that predicting long-term vaccine protection accurately was not possible at that time.
Moreover, the lawsuit claims that Pfizer misrepresented the longevity of the vaccine’s protection and neglected to reveal information conflicting with its assertions. Additionally, it contends that Pfizer did not assess whether the vaccine prevents transmission but still promoted it as essential for protecting others.
As questions arose about the vaccine’s effectiveness,