Texas attorney general Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, alleging that they overstated the effectiveness of their vaccines.
“He’s accusing these manufacturers of basically fudging the numbers on the COVID data and perhaps overstating the efficacy of the vaccines,” says Texas Tribune political reporter James Barragán.
The vaccines have undergone extensive vetting and their efficacy in preventing serious illness has been proven scientifically.
The vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer and Moderna, have strongly denied the allegations made by Paxton. “The emergency use authorization that the COVID-19 vaccines initially got does require a lower standard of evidence,” Barragán says. “But that’s given with the caveat that the science has to continue, and that they have to keep proving, over and over with science and data, that the vaccines are effective in preventing serious illness.”
Despite the pushback from the vaccine manufacturers and experts, “Attorney General Paxton is moving forward with this investigation, and we’ll see what happens,” Barragán adds.
For more stories from the week in Texas politics, including Rep. Colin Allred’s plans to challenge Sen. Ted Cruz and a lawsuit against the FAA over SpaceX’s botched rocket launch, listen in the audio player above.
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