Exclusive: AG Paxton Launches “Wide-Sweeping” Investigation Into Vaccine Incentivization Framework
Updated
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into a “multi-level, multi-industry scheme that has illegally incentivized medical providers to recommend childhood vaccines that are not proven to be safe or necessary.” Paxton’s office said the investigation will be wide sweeping and will examine the “incentivization framework that historically forced” children to receive more than 70 doses of vaccines from birth to 18 years of age.
AG Paxton has announced his investigation on the heels of the CDC’s historical modification of the childhood vaccine schedule, following a comprehensive scientific review that found the US was recommending more than twice as many vaccines as some peer nations. The new vaccine schedule is facing scrutiny from medical groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, which receives funding from major vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer, Moderna, Merck, Sanofi, and GlaxoSmithKline. At least 19 states have announced they will follow the AAP’s guidelines rather than the CDC’s, despite the AAP’s known conflicts of interest that promote more vaccinations for all children.
Paxton’s investigation will examine whether manufacturers, medical providers, insurance companies, and other entities unlawfully failed to disclose financial incentives for administering vaccines in the state of Texas.
“The investigation comes as children across the state are expelled from pediatric practices and denied medical care based on their vaccination status,” said the press release from Paxton’s office. “Doctor’s wages, bonuses, and even employment often hinge on the number of vaccines they administer.”
One part of the investigation involves issuing 20 Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to some of the largest medical providers, insurance companies, and vaccine manufacturers, including Pfizer and UnitedHealth.
“I will ensure that Big Pharma and Big Insurance don’t bribe medical providers to pressure parents to jab their kids with vaccines they feel aren’t safe or necessary,” Paxton said. “Alongside President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s significant efforts to ensure safety when it comes to childhood vaccines, my office will fight to protect kids’ health and uphold transparency in the medical industry. Together, we will Make America Healthy Again. Texans deserve to have full faith in the recommendations of their medical providers – particularly when it involves the health of their children. I will not tolerate a ‘carrot and stick’ approach to healthcare recommendations. Any provider or entity whose medical guidance is fueled by financial incentives from an insurance company, Big Pharma, or otherwise will be exposed.”
During the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, some insurance companies provided incentives to doctors. For example, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in Kentucky offered up to a $125 bonus per member if 75% of the clinic’s Anthem members were vaccinated against COVID-19. While it is unknown how many Anthem members a provider has, an American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) estimate indicates that a primary care physician has between 2,000 and 2,500 patients, and Anthem BCBS is one of the largest insurance providers in the country. This indicates that vaccine providers in Kentucky may have had financial incentives in the tens of thousands, and possibly exceeding six figures.
The AAP and other medical groups that have financial ties to vaccine manufacturers brought a lawsuit against Secretary Kennedy for removing the COVID-19 vaccine from the childhood schedule, and now the most recent removal of additional vaccines to bring the CDC schedule in line with Denmark’s vaccine program. The lawsuit lists claims of financial harm from physicians who say they need to spend more time having “in-depth conversations with parents about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, conversations that were not occurring before the change to SCDM (Shared Clinical Decision-Making).”
A long list of medical groups also petitioned Congress to investigate the vaccine schedule changes on the claim that there is no “clear scientific basis” for reducing the number of recommended vaccines. Secretary Kennedy and HHS said the updates reflect recommendations for vaccines with international consensus. It aligns the vaccine schedule with that of Denmark, a country with better health outcomes. The United States has an 88% higher infant mortality rate than Denmark, and recommended vaccination against 18 diseases compared to Denmark’s 10, before the removal of the COVID-19 vaccine from routine recommendation.
AG Paxton secured a $41.5 million settlement against Pfizer for adulterated ADHD drugs and was involved in a $7.4 billion settlement against Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family for their role in the opioid epidemic.