In the lawsuit filed by Just the News in partnership with the America First Legal public interest law firm, the focus is on compelling the Department of Health and Human Services to comply with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests regarding COVID-19 vaccine adverse event data.
Specifically, the lawsuit seeks access to data from a nonpublic system connected to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which collects reports of adverse events following vaccination.
VAERS is a critical system for monitoring vaccine safety, as it collects reports of adverse events, including serious ones like death, that occur after vaccination.
However, the lawsuit alleges that there is a private database affiliated with VAERS that contains more comprehensive and updated information than the public-facing database.
This private database reportedly includes essential safety information related to COVID-19 vaccines, such as updates on patient outcomes like formal diagnoses, recoveries, or deaths.
The lawsuit argues that access to this nonpublic database is crucial for ensuring transparency and accountability in the vaccination process, as it could provide a more complete picture of the safety profile of COVID-19 vaccines.
By compelling the Department of Health and Human Services to comply with the FOIA requests, Just the News and America First Legal aim to make this vital safety data accessible to the public.
The lawsuit underscores the importance of transparency and access to information in public health matters, especially concerning vaccines. Access to comprehensive and up-to-date data is essential for informed decision-making and public trust in vaccination.