On or about June 9, 2019, CHD’s Facebook page posted a link to a video presentation of RFK Jr discussing a pending lawsuit against Merck related to the Gardasil (HPV) vaccine (Figure 1). RFK Jr also posted a link to the presentation on his Instagram page. Science Feedback checked information in the video, an ‘independent third-party fact checker’ working with Meta (which owns Facebook and Instagram, among other platforms).

On March 4, 2020, CHD’s Facebook page posted a link to an article in Newsmax by Dr. Brownstein, which examined some of the serious health issues that have surfaced concerning the HPV vaccines, including autoimmune events (Figure 2).

Contested claim: “The autoimmune diseases and menstrual cycle problems and fertility problems and pain and dizziness and seizures and all of the other things that we’ve now seen are associated with the [HPV] vaccine” (CHD, RFK Jr, 190515) (Figure 1).

Also: HPV Vaccine Linked to Autoimmune Events (Newsmax, 200303) (Figure 2)

Science Feedback’s fact-check verdict: Unsupported (191125)

Facebook action: False information (190609) (no link available)

Context: Science Feedback deemed the claim “Unsupported,” asserting the HPV vaccine has an excellent safety profile, “as shown by studies conducted in different parts of the world on millions of people,” according to their Key Takeaway (Figure 3). “These studies found no association between the HPV vaccine and serious adverse events such as autoimmune and neurological diseases.” Facebook added the following warning labels to related CHD Facebook posts: “False information Checked by independent fact-checkers” (Figure 4) and “False information The same information was checked in another post* by independent fact-checkers” (Figure 5).

Facebook also flagged CHD’s Facebook post to the Newsmax article (Figure 2), and the same fact-check by Science feedback was cited. Facebook added the following warning label to the Facebook post: “False information Checked by independent fact-checkers” (200304) (no link available) (Figure 6).

Verdict detail: “Inadequate support: The HPV vaccine has an excellent safety profile based on current scientific evidence. There is no evidence of an association between the HPV vaccine and any of the medical conditions mentioned in this claim” (Science Feedback, 191125).

Supported: Science Feedback’s headline states: “Studies worldwide demonstrate HPV vaccine safety and no association with serious autoimmune and neurological diseases or problems during pregnancy.” This may be true. However, Science Feedback made errors of omission and/or commission because there are also studies supporting an association, including the study using VAERS data (Geier and Geier, 2017), which was the subject of the Newsmax article and headline (”HPV Vaccine Linked to Autoimmune Events”). This study was not addressed in their fact-check.

The common thread of vaccine studies — the lack of basic scientific research into vaccine adverse events and poor vaccine adverse event reporting systems — does not preclude claims of associated safety or harm, however unreliable the information may be. Science Feedback’s summary included a study using VAERS data (Moro et al., 2015) to support their assertion of no association between adverse events and the HPV vaccine to support their verdict, so they did not have an issue with these types of studies to support or refute links between adverse events and the HPV vaccine.

Science Feedback missed or ignored studies supporting the contested claim, including the study reported in the Newsmax article (200303). As a result of Science Feedback’s fact-check (Figure 2), Facebook flagged it as “False information” (Figure 5), completely undermining its “Unsupported” verdict.

Assessment highlights:

• In citing studies that the HPV vaccine has been proven safe and effective, Science Feedback deliberately omits studies observing positive associations between autoimmune diseases, neurological conditions, fertility-related issues, and the HPV vaccine.
• More concerning, Science Feedback’s fact-check analysis omits the study Dr. Brownstein reported on (Geier and Geier, 2017) in the Newsmax article, which Facebook flagged as “False information” (Figure 5). Thus, Science Feedback’s “Unsupported” verdict is wholly undermined.
• Scientific evidence supports the positive associations between adverse events and the HPV vaccine discussed in RFK Jr’s Gardasil presentation and the Newsmax article; therefore, the contested claim is “Supported.”

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)

• 4.114 | Science Feedback’s “fact-check” is deliberately false and misleading, and tries to silence an important discussion about the influence of pharmaceutical companies on vaccine trial data and outcomes. Science Feedback does not address the crux of the piece – RFK, Jr.’s criticism about fraud at Merck, and how trial data was manipulated. Merck has a well-documented history of fraudulent behavior. It intentionally withheld scientific data about Vioxx’s adverse cardiovascular side effects resulting in settlements and fines above $4.8 billion for causing at least 60,000 deaths from sudden heart attacks and over 120,000 serious medical injuries. Defendants were aware, or acted in reckless disregard of, these and other specific falsities in the Science Feedback opposition “fact-check,” but posted it nonetheless on CHD’s page, in furtherance of their fraudulent scheme.
• 4.115 | In citing studies that the HPV vaccine has been proven safe and effective, Science Feedback deliberately omits studies that have had a different outcome, and attempts to deflect scrutiny of the pharmaceutical companies, and their manipulation of study outcomes. Richard Horton, the Editor in Chief of the esteemed medical journal “Lancet” was recently quoted as saying the influence wielded by big Pharma to influence publications is “criminal.”
• 4.158 | Science Feedback does not address two facts which undermine its opinion: (1) auto-immune medical conditions are found in the HPV vaccine warning insert itself (see Gardasil, Highlights of Prescribing Information, FDA, [150400]) and (2) the study cited by Dr. Brownstein [Geier and Geier, 2017] found that there were increased autoimmune adverse event findings in data from VAERS which warranted further study. Instead, Science Feedback labels CHD’s post “false fact” based on its own bare bones opinion that no “association” (a term which Science Feedback doesn’t define) between the HPV vaccine and any of the medical conditions mentioned in this claim has been found.

Highlights:

• Science Feedback deliberately omits studies observing positive associations between autoimmune diseases, neurological conditions, fertility-related issues, and the HPV vaccine.
• Science Feedback’s fact-check omits in its analysis the study Dr. Brownstein reported on (Geier and Geier, 2017) in the Newsmax article — which was flagged as “False information” by Facebook (Figure 5) — completely undermining its “Unsupported” verdict.
• Scientific evidence supports the positive associations between adverse events and the HPV vaccine discussed in RFK Jr’s Gardasil presentation and the Newsmax article; therefore, Science Feebacks’ “unsupported” verdict is inaccurate.