ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (VINnews) — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued Pfizer and its chief executive, Albert Bourla, on Thursday, accusing them of misleading consumers about the safety and effectiveness of the company’s COVID-19 vaccine.
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The complaint, filed in Circuit Court in St. Lucie County, alleges violations of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act. The state says Pfizer told consumers the vaccine posed no material safety risks while failing to disclose links to heart inflammation and other adverse events, and urged vaccination to protect others without testing whether the shot stopped transmission.
The filing also says Pfizer used unfair tactics to dominate the market. It cites more than $80 billion in vaccine sales and a later price increase, from about $30 a dose to $110 to $130 a dose in 2023. The complaint says the company spent more than $10 billion on advertising from 2020 to 2023 and quotes Bourla as calling Floridians who raised safety concerns “criminals.”
Uthmeier, in a post on X, said the state sued Pfizer for “deceptively marketing the products as safe — making billions — while pregnant women were miscarrying their babies and teenagers were having heart attacks.” The complaint alleges the company knew of data connecting the vaccine to myocarditis and pericarditis in minors and had reason to believe it could cause adverse events, including miscarriage, in pregnant women and their unborn babies in the first trimester.
Florida is seeking an injunction, civil penalties of $10,000 per violation — or $15,000 when the violation involves a senior or a person with a disability — and the return of profits.
Pfizer said the allegations have no merit and that it will respond in court.
“We are proud to have developed the COVID-19 vaccine in record time in the midst of a global pandemic and saved countless lives,” the company said. “The representations made by Pfizer about its COVID-19 vaccine have been accurate and science-based, and the company stands behind the safety and efficacy of its vaccine.”
The case is the latest Florida action tied to pandemic-era vaccine policy. A statewide grand jury convened at the request of Gov. Ron DeSantis reported in January 2025 that it found no evidence vaccine makers broke federal or state law in making and distributing the shots.
Can’t wait for discovery if it goes to trial but they’ll likely settle for billions.
Still SAD that those injured cannot sue.