Paxton launches investigation into Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) — An investigation is now underway into whether or not pharmaceutical companies engaged in ‘gain-of-function’ research in the development of Covid-19 vaccines.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is targeting Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson in the inquiry, and he also wants to know if these companies misled the public on the efficacy of the Covid-19 shots and the likelihood of transmitting the illness after taking the vaccines in violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

“The development of the Covid-19 vaccine, and the representations made by and knowledge of Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson, are of profound interest to the public’s health and welfare. This investigation aims to discover the truth,” said Attorney General Paxton. “This pandemic was a deeply challenging time for Americans. If any company illegally took advantage of consumers during this period or compromised people’s safety to increase their profits, they will be held responsible. If public health policy was developed on the basis of flawed or misleading research, the public must know. The catastrophic effects of the pandemic and subsequent interventions forced on our country and citizens deserve intense scrutiny, and we are pursuing any hint of wrongdoing to the fullest.”

The investigation will also look into the potential manipulation of vaccine trial data. It also concerns potentially fraudulent activity that falls outside the scope of legal immunity granted to manufacturers of the Covid-19 vaccine. It will also review the companies’ practice of reporting the metric of “relative risk reduction” instead of “absolute risk reduction” when publicly discussing the efficacy of their vaccines. 

The Texas investigation will force these companies to turn over documents the public otherwise could not access. Attorney General Paxton says he is committed to discovering the full scope of decision-making behind pandemic interventions forced on the public, especially when a profit motive or political pressure may have compromised the health and safety of Americans. Efforts by the federal government to coerce compliance with unjust and illegal pandemic interventions, even at the cost of citizens’ employment, means this investigation into the scientific and ethical basis on which public health decisions were made is of major significance.