Florida Attorney General sues Pfizer and CEO over COVID-19 vaccine claims

Pfizer

01/10/2026 17:59

Oct 1 (Reuters) - Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Pfizer PFE.N and its CEO, Albert Bourla, accusing the drugmaker of misleading consumers about the safety and effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine.

Here are more details:
Uthmeier filed the lawsuit in state court, alleging that Pfizer told consumers its COVID-19 vaccine was safe while failing to disclose potential risks, including heart inflammation and other adverse events.
The lawsuit says Pfizer urged people to get the shot to protect others, even though the company never tested whether the vaccine stopped the virus from spreading.
Florida has also accused Pfizer of using unfair tactics to dominate the market. 
It said the company made more than $80 billion from vaccine sales, then nearly quadrupled the price of the vaccine to a range of $110 to $130 a dose in 2023 from $30.
The state, suing under its consumer protection law, wants a court order to stop the alleged conduct, fines of $10,000 per violation, or $15,000 when seniors or disabled people were harmed, and the return of profits.
Pfizer did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment, while the Florida Attorney General's Office did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.

 (Reporting by Kamal Choudhury in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas)
 ((Kamal.Choudhury@thomsonreuters.com;))