Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened a landmark investigation into an alleged multi-level, multi-industry scheme that may have incentivized medical providers to recommend childhood vaccines that are not proven to be safe or medically necessary.
The broad investigation is set to challenge an incentivization framework that Paxton says has effectively pressured Texas children to receive more than 70 vaccine doses from birth through age 18 as a condition for continuing medical care.
The investigation will examine whether pediatric medical providers, insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, or other related entities engaged in deceptive or unlawful conduct by failing to disclose financial interests tied to the administration of childhood vaccines.
According to Paxton's office, the investigation comes amid growing reports that children across Texas are being denied routine medical care based solely on their vaccination status. The Attorney General's office alleges that in some cases, physicians wages, bonuses, and even continued employment are directly linked to the number of vaccines they administer.
As part of the inquiry, Paxton is issuing more than 20 civil investigative demands (CIDs) to major players in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. The targets of the CIDs include some of the largest medical providers, insurance companies, and drug manufacturers in the country, including UnitedHealthcare and Pfizer.
"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," said Paxton in a statement. "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."
The attorney general emphasized that Texans deserve full confidence in medical recommendations, particularly when decisions affect children's health.
The Attorney General has not indicated how long the investigation will last, but additional actions may follow depending on what the civil investigative demands uncover.
Paxton says the investigation aligns with broader efforts by President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reform federal vaccine policy and is part of a push to reinforce parental choice in childhood vaccination decisions to ensure transparency across the healthcare system.
