Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier filed a lawsuit Thursday against Pfizer and CEO Albert Bourla, accusing the company of misleading consumers about the safety and effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine.
The complaint alleges Pfizer ran a massive marketing campaign that assured the public the vaccine posed no material safety risks. Bourla publicly claimed the company had not seen “a single [safety] signal,” while the lawsuit says Pfizer was already aware of data linking the vaccine to myocarditis and pericarditis in minors, potential risks for pregnant women, and thousands of reports of other serious adverse events, including stroke and death.
It also alleges Pfizer repeatedly told consumers they had a moral duty to get vaccinated to stop the spread of the virus and protect others, even though the company had not tested whether the vaccine prevented transmission.
The lawsuit further claims Pfizer spent more than $10 billion on advertising from 2020 to 2023, made more than $80 billion from vaccine sales, and that Bourla personally received nearly $102 million in compensation during that period. Pfizer later raised the price of the vaccine from about $30 per dose to between $110 and $130.
Florida filed the case under the state’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. It seeks an order stopping the alleged conduct, civil penalties of $10,000 per violation (or $15,000 when seniors or disabled people were harmed), and the return of profits.
