Federal Judge Forces FDA to Release Over a Million Pages of Pfizer’s COVID-19 Trial Documents They Wanted to Keep Hidden for 75 Years

The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must release documents related to the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, following a case brought by the Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency (PHMPT). The court's ruling requires the FDA to disclose all Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) files by June 30, 2025.

This case began with a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the PHMPT, which wanted detailed information about the Pfizer vaccine. Initially, the FDA argued it needed 75 years to fulfill this request. However, Judge Mark Pittman found this unacceptable, emphasizing the necessity for government accountability.

In late 2021, the FDA's proposal for a long timeline to release vaccine approval documents faced heavy criticism. The agency suggested releasing only 500 pages per month from a total of over 300,000 pages, which would delay the complete release until approximately 2097. The FDA cited staffing shortages and the large volume of documents as reasons for this slow pace.

Facing backlash, Judge Pittman ordered the FDA in January 2022 to expedite the release of documents, mandating that the agency produce 55,000 pages per month. This ruling ensured that all requested documents would be available by the end of September 2022.

On a recent ruling, Judge Pittman again required the FDA to speed up the release of documents, stating, "The liberties of a people never were, nor ever will be, secure, when the transactions of their rulers may be concealed from them. " He argued the information used by the government to approve the Pfizer vaccine should no longer be hidden now that the pandemic has ended.

The FDA has already provided over a million pages of documents in response to the lawsuit, but the plaintiffs assert that important information is still being withheld. Aaron Siri, representing the plaintiffs, claimed the FDA appears to lack confidence in its review process for licensing the Pfizer vaccine, as it tries to prevent independent scientists from conducting their own reviews. He noted the FDA had hidden one million pages of clinical trial documents related to the vaccine’s approval.

The case highlights significant issues around government transparency and public access to health data, especially related to the COVID-19 vaccine. It raises questions about the responsibilities of agencies like the FDA to disclose information to the public, particularly when dealing with health emergencies that affected countless lives. 

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/judicial-bombshell-federal-judge-forces-fda-release-million/