Pfizer Lawsuit Over COVID Vaccines Sparks MAGA Joy
NewsweekNOV 25 2023
Kansas Attorney General Sues COVID Jab Maker Pfizer
Above: Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach in 2018. Image copyright: Mark Reinstein/Contributor/Corbis Historical via Getty Images
The Facts
Republican Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach announced Monday his state is suing pharmaceutical company Pfizer over what it calls the drugmaker's deceptive marketing of the COVID vaccine.
The suit claims Pfizer marketed its vaccine as "safe and effective" while downplaying serious side effects, including myocarditis and pericarditis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found these side effects are rare.
In addition, the lawsuit links the jab to pregnancy complications and says Pfizer hid this information. This is in contrast to a 2023 review of 21 studies by the US National Institutes of Health which found that vaccines were not linked to miscarriages.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Motivated by the record company revenue it would eventually enjoy, Pfizer misrepresented various problems and the ill effects its vaccine could have on recipients. In addition, it worked with the Democrat-friendly social media companies to stifle warnings about the jab's dangers. Pfizer's deceptions came during a period when people felt they were in an emergency and needed to make critical decisions on short notice. Pfizer must be held accountable.
Democratic narrative
Like the suit brought in Texas, this legal action taken by Kansas is based on meritless accusations and, ironically, deceptive descriptions of the federal government's and pharmaceutical companies' strategy for fighting the spread of COVID. All along, officials said vaccines weren't going to be foolproof but were still the best way to slow the virus at a time when there were mass casualties. These suits are just trying to turn fear into political points for Republicans.
Metaculus Prediction
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