A Dec. 2 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) includes an image of a news headline that states, “Schools Can Force-Vaccinate Children Against Parents’ Wishes, State Supreme Court Rules.” It also includes a photo of an X post claiming a 6-year-old boy was “forced to take a Covid mRNA injection by his school.”
The Instagram post received more than 2,000 likes in 11 days, and similar versions have also circulated on the platform.
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Our rating: False
The Vermont Supreme Court ruling this post references doesn’t permit schools to “force-vaccinate” students, it addresses whether a school was civilly liable for accidentally vaccinating the wrong student. Although the boy was vaccinated without his parents’ consent, court documents describe the incident as unintentional.
Court didn't permit force-vaccinations
The headline featured in the post comes from Slay News, which has previously published misinformation that USA TODAY has debunked. In this case, the story and headline mischaracterize a court action that was about civil liability in a specific, unique circumstnace, not setting policy on forced vaccinations.
The claim stems from a July 26 Vermont Supreme Court ruling related to a 6-year-old boy who was vaccinated against COVID-19 without his parents' consent during a 2021 state-sponsored clinic at his school. The child's father spoke with an assistant principal days earlier and said he didn't want his son vaccinated, but the school mistook the boy for another student and vaccinated him, court records show.
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