On or about October 10, 2019, CHD’s Facebook page posted a link to an editorial by RFK Jr about vaccine injuries with the headline: “Vaccine Injuries Ratio: One for Every 39 Vaccines Administered”

Contested claim: Vaccine Injuries Ratio: One for Every 39 Vaccines Administered (CHD, 191010)

Science Feedback’s fact-check verdict: Unsupported (200113)

Facebook action: Post removed (according to CHD Complaint)

Context: Science Feedback deemed the claim “unsupported,” asserting the data captured from VAERS does not prove vaccines caused any adverse event (Figure 2). According to the November 13, 2020, CHD vs Facebook Complaint, the post was no longer visible on CHD’s Facebook page and appears to have been taken down by Facebook. (The CHD Facebook page has since been deplatformed.)

Verdict detail: “Inadequate support: The 1-in-39 figure is based on data captured in the U.S. VAERS system. VAERS records adverse events occurring after vaccination, but on its own does not prove that vaccines caused the adverse event” (Science Feedback, 200113).

Supported: Science Feedback’s fact-check asserts that the data captured from VAERS does not “prove” vaccines caused any adverse event (Figure 2). RFK Jr’s claim is an accurate statement based on the detection and clinician reporting of vaccine adverse events from a study using VAERS data. The featured image of CHD’s post which is displayed along with an article’s title when linked to on Facebook, includes the caption: “CDC says 1/1,000,000 may be injured by shots…Federal Study says 1/39” (Figure 1). “May be” implies an association and, therefore, does not imply a necessarily causal relationship. RFK Jr’s contested claim is not causal and is supported by the referenced study.

While Science Feedback’s assertation that the VAERS data “on its own does not prove that vaccines caused the adverse event” is accurate, RFK Jr’s data in the contested claim presents an association supported by the evidence referenced in the editorial (ESP: VAERS, 100930).

Assessment highlights:

• Science Feedback’s fact-check asserts that the data captured from VAERS does not “prove” vaccines caused any adverse event (Figure 2).
• RFK Jr’s claim is an accurate statement based on the detection and clinician reporting of vaccine adverse events from a study using VAERS data. The featured image of CHD’s post which is displayed along with an article’s title when linked to on Facebook, includes the caption: “CDC says 1/1,000,000 may be injured by shots…Federal Study says 1/39” (Figure 1).
• While Science Feedback’s assertation that the VAERS data “on its own does not prove that vaccines caused the adverse event” is accurate, RFK Jr’s data in the contested claim presents an association supported by the evidence referenced in the editorial (ESP: VAERS, 100930).

CHD filed a lawsuit claiming that Facebook, its CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and associated fact-checking organizations unfairly targeted and censored their content. The lawsuit alleges that this censorship violated CHD’s constitutional rights by collaborating with government entities to suppress free speech, falsely labeling CHD’s content as misinformation, engaging in deceptive and coordinated efforts to discredit their work, and causing significant reputational and financial harm. The following excerpt is taken from CHD’s 2020 complaint document.

Respondent: CHD (CHD vs Facebook Complaint, 201113)

• 4.180 | On or about October 10, 2019, CHD posted a link to an editorial by RFK, Jr. about vaccine injuries. The article referenced studies such as the 2010 U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) pilot study by the Federal Agency for Health Research Quality (AHRQ) that looked at the prevalence of vaccine injuries reported to VAERS. R. Lazarus et al., Grant Final Report: Electronic Support for Public Health – Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (ESP:VAERS) (100930).
• 4.181 | Science Feedback’s false and misleading “fact-check” asserts that the data captured from VAERS does not “prove” vaccines caused any adverse event. Yet, the data that RFK, Jr. references (2.6% of injuries, or 1 in 39) is taken directly from the study. Defendants were aware, or acted in reckless disregard, of these and other specific falsities in the Science Feedback opposition “fact-check,” but posted it on CHD’s page nonetheless, in furtherance of their fraudulent scheme. Currently, the post is no longer visible on CHD’s Facebook page and appears to have been taken down by Facebook.

Highlights:

• Science Feedback’s fact-check’s title, “Claim by Robert F Kennedy Jr that one “vaccine injury” occurs for every 39 vaccinations is unsupported by scientific data,” is inaccurate.
• RFK Jr’s claim is accurate, based on the detection and clinician reporting of vaccine adverse events in a study using VAERS data.
• Studies using Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) data can be considered scientific information. A common theme of Science Feedback’s fact-checks is that an association observed cannot exist if it finds studies with contrasting results. While the weight and quality of the evidence are essential for establishing reliable knowledge, it is inaccurate and misleading to label evidence that contradicts existing evidence as unsupported or label it as false information, which is a common thread of Facebook’s warning labels applied to content deemed unsupported by their fact-checkers.