Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A Backlash Against Covid Vaccine Lies Gains Strength
The Washington Post: Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla Says People Who Spread Vaccine Disinformation Are ‘Criminals’
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday that people who spread disinformation about coronavirus vaccines are “criminals.” Bourla, in an interview with the Atlantic Council think tank, said a “very small” group has been responsible for spreading vaccine disinformation to the millions who remain hesitant about getting vaccinated. “Those people are criminals,” he said to Atlantic Council CEO Frederick Kempe about 40 minutes into a nearly hour-long interview. “They’re not bad people. They’re criminals because they have literally cost millions of lives.” (Bella, 11/9)
CNN: Surgeon General On Matthew McConaughey's Opposition To Vaccine Mandates For Kids: 'Covid Is Not Harmless In Our Children'
US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy stressed Tuesday that parents need to recognize that "Covid is not harmless in our children" after actor Matthew McConaughey said his kids aren't vaccinated and that he's against mandating vaccines for children. "Many kids have died. Sadly, hundreds of children -- thousands -- have been hospitalized, and as a dad of a child who has been hospitalized several years ago for another illness, I would never wish upon any parent they have a child that ends up in the hospital," Murthy told CNN's Erin Burnett on "OutFront." (LeBlanc, 11/9)
Senator Warren is sued over criticizing vaccine misinformation —
The Hill: Publishing Company Sues Warren For Criticizing COVID-19 Book
A publishing company is suing Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), accusing her of violating the First Amendment after she criticized Amazon's algorithm for allegedly promoting a book that contains COVID-19 misinformation. Chelsea Green Publishing, Inc., which is behind the book “The Truth About COVID-19: Exposing the Great Reset, Lockdowns, Vaccine Passports, and the New Normal,” filed the lawsuit against Warren in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington on Tuesday, according to a statement from the group. (Schnell, 11/9)
AP: Senator Warren’s Concerns Over COVID-19 Book Draw Lawsuit
A small publishing company in Vermont is suing Sen. Elizabeth Warren, saying her chastising Amazon over the sale of a book that promotes misinformation about COVID-19 amounted to censorship. The company, Chelsea Green, published a book called “The Truth About COVID-19,” which accuses the “global elite” of using the pandemic to grab “unprecedented power.” (11/9)
On vaccine misinformation in the media, sports —
AP: Study: Fox Viewers More Likely To Believe COVID Falsehoods
People who trust Fox News Channel and other media outlets that appeal to conservatives are more likely to believe falsehoods about COVID-19 and vaccines than those who primarily go elsewhere for news, a study has found. While the Kaiser Family Foundation study released this week found the clear ties between news outlets that people trusted and the amount of misinformation they believe, it took no stand on whether those attitudes specifically came from what they saw there. “It may be because the people who are self-selecting these organizations believe (the misinformation) going in,” said Liz Hamel, vice president and director of public opinion and survey research at Kaiser. (Bauder, 11/10)
The Hill: Newsmax Reporter Permanently Suspended From Twitter After COVID-19 Claims
Newsmax White House correspondent Emerald Robinson has been permanently suspended from Twitter for repeatedly violating the platform's COVID-19 misinformation policy, a Twitter spokesperson confirmed to The Hill on Tuesday night. The permanent suspension follows a temporary 7-day Twitter suspension Robinson received last week in the wake of false claims she made about the COVID-19 vaccine. Social media users began noticing on Tuesday evening that Robinson's Twitter account had been shut down, just hours after she had been regranted access to the platform. (Polus, 11/9)
CBS News: Green Bay Packers, Aaron Rodgers And Receiver Allen Lazard Fined For COVID Violations
The NFL has fined the Green Bay Packers organization, quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Allen Lazard for violating COVID-19 protocols, the league said in a statement to CBS News on Tuesday. The fines come nearly a week after Rodgers tested positive for the coronavirus and subsequently revealed he was not vaccinated after earlier stating he had been "immunized." "The Club was fully cooperative in the investigation into violations of the collectively bargained NFL-NFLPA protocols," the NFL said Tuesday. (Reardon, 11/9)
