The argument: The Supreme Court rules in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s victory that the coronavirus vaccine caused “irreparable” harm.
An Oct. 14 Facebook post (direct link, archived link) claims to share breaking news about a U.S. Supreme Court case involving Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“Hardly anyone realized that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won the case against all the pharmaceutical lobbyists with #breaking Supreme Court decision,” the post begins. “In its judgment, the Supreme Court confirmed that the harm caused by mRNA gene therapy for the novel coronavirus is irreparable.”
The post was shared more than 2,000 times in two weeks. Another version of the post was shared more than 1,000 times in two weeks.
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Our rating: False
The Supreme Court has not made such a decision. He has not issued any opinions during his current term, and none of his decisions since the pandemic match the description in the post.
The Supreme Court ruled on several COVID-19 issues, but not on vaccine safety.
An archive of Supreme Court opinions available on the Supreme Court’s website shows that, as of Oct. 29, it has yet to issue an opinion during its current term, which began Oct. 7. . It also includes all opinions from past terms of the Supreme Court. None of the findings, which predate the pandemic, directly implicate Mr. Kennedy or make any judgments about the safety of the coronavirus vaccines.
“The Supreme Court has not ruled that COVID-19 vaccines will cause irreparable harm,” Margaret Foster Riley, a professor of law and public health sciences at the University of Virginia, told USA TODAY. Ta.
Riley said such a ruling is inconsistent with the court’s role.
“The Supreme Court rules on the application of laws, including regulations, statutes, and the Constitution,” she said. “It is not a fact finder. The law may apply the facts, but it does not determine them.”
However, as USA TODAY previously reported, the court has ruled on several issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including decisions regarding vaccination mandates and eviction moratoriums implemented during the pandemic. .
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In late May, the court issued an opinion referring to another case involving Mr. Kennedy and Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. In the case, a federal judge refused to order Warren to retract a letter she wrote criticizing a book she claimed promoted unproven treatments for COVID-19, The Associated Press reported. Reported. Kennedy wrote the foreword for the book.
Kennedy was mentioned in a separate opinion published in June denying objections to the government’s efforts to force social media companies to remove posts it deems misinformation. That same month, the court dismissed two vaccine-related lawsuits brought by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine nonprofit founded by President Kennedy.
In 2021, President Kennedy told The Associated Press that similar claims were “misinformation” and that he has participated in more than 30 lawsuits over vaccine safety, but none before the Supreme Court.
Kennedy is the son of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy, both of whom were assassinated in the 1960s. He frequently criticized COVID-19 restrictions and spread other misinformation about the pandemic. In August, Kennedy suspended third-party presidential campaigns and endorsed former President Donald Trump.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the post for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-checking sources:
Margaret Foster Riley, Oct. 29, Email exchange with USA TODAY U.S. Supreme Court, accessed Oct. 29, Court opinion USA TODAY, Aug. 26, 2021, Supreme Court bids Biden in blow to renters Blocks COVID-19 eviction moratorium United States Today, January 14, 2022 Supreme Court blocks workplace COVID-19 vaccine or testing mandates, but allows health rules Associated Press , May 10, 2022, Judge won’t let Sen. Warren retract coronavirus letter Associated Press, September 20, 2021, Supreme Court rules on coronavirus vaccine or ‘universal vaccination’ not lowered
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