Kansas Cites Misleading Claims About Vaccine Safety in Lawsuit Against Pfizer

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-fda-adds-warning-about-rare-heart-inflammation-pfizer-moderna-covid-vaccines-2021-06-26/?utm_campaign=KFF-Misinformation-Trust&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9WIR3bENt_oVvVDx_jrd1V8ZZvJnHfFSnPR1YHiEfVGJKG6iAU0OLMK3sqgYGq15fF1HbIdhYu1Dw9h9OylvrefuiYrg&_hsmi=317302400&utm_content=317302400&utm_source=hs_email Kansas Cites Misleading Claims About Vaccine Safety in Lawsuit Against Pfizer Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach filed a lawsuit against Pfizer last month, resurfacing false claims about vaccine safety. Kobach accuses Pfizer of downplaying potential risks such as myocarditis and pregnancy complications, citing misinformation to support the lawsuit. However, the chance of developing myocarditis after vaccination is rare and the FDA already issued a myocarditis warning last year. Studies also show that the COVID-19 vaccine does not increase the risk of miscarriage. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-57880-8?utm_campaign=KFF-Misinformation-Trust&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_EOmNSLrzqj8lV2SAK8ylavkqiTbRV4Fh93CJIJTws4EZ3Y6dnpR-St9J4gwE6wh7UTsAUM8UQ6YQEZIHpWB_rtPMV-w&_hsmi=317302400&utm_content=317302400&utm_source=hs_email Following the announcement of the lawsuit, there was a spike in social media posts about Pfizer. The top five posts came from accounts known for opposing vaccines, and they all expressed distrust of Pfizer. Some of these posts and comments echoed the lawsuit’s false claim that COVID-19 vaccines carry a high risk of heart inflammation. For example, one post said “...it's definitely not normal for children to have heart attacks. I'm so happy I stayed strong and refused to put this in my family.” Many posts also suggested that pharmaceutical companies should be held accountable for alleged wrongdoing. Another post said, “Every state has to hold these companies accountable for injecting poison into people’s bodies.” https://www.factcheck.org/2023/04/scicheck-no-evidence-excess-deaths-linked-to-vaccines-contrary-to-claims-online/?utm_campaign=KFF-Misinformation-Trust&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--4ANG1AvxvhEYXEMeZ-1PBnDSqB7MuHm-I9DPFak31I3SO4BqD76oCXdNliWnKDqqdmOa4vmCHLVaP_K0wn4P7l0ClDw&_hsmi=317302400&utm_content=317302400&utm_source=hs_email The false narratives suggest that vaccine opponents are leaning on years-old talking points to discourage COVID-19 vaccination, despite extensive research showing that COVID-19 vaccines have not caused mass death and that heart inflammation is much more common and more severe after a COVID-19 infection, not vaccination. We expect vaccine opponents to continue recycling false claims when major COVID-19 related news occurs. https://publicgoodnews.com/2023/12/25/myocarditis-facts-covid-19-vaccines-fact-check/?utm_campaign=KFF-Misinformation-Trust&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--ba3qxmMBxj0d8M9fPoK3nIr5sMnDOQ1dZxYP0pYFhWRVl2nXk0pf5tNwpEKmQ-zz2dWLpQktcR1fNpE1O5fuehgyFzA&_hsmi=317302400&utm_content=317302400&utm_source=hs_email