Sen. Dianne Feinstein tweeted about getting COVID-19 and flu vaccines days before her death.
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No, Sen. Dianne Feinstein didn’t tweet about getting a COVID-19 vaccine before her death
If Your Time is short
- This isn’t an authentic tweet from the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., died Sept. 29 at age 90. Her office told news outlets that the longtime lawmaker died of natural causes.
But some social media users have misleadingly suggested that she died because of a COVID-19 vaccine.
"Just received the new flu and COVID vaccine, make sure to get yours!" reads what looks like a screenshot of a Sept. 27 post on X, formerly Twitter, from Feinstein.
An Instagram post sharing the image was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.) The post was later removed.
The handle of the supposed X post — @dianefeinstein — is not among the late senator’s X accounts and misspelled Feinstein’s first name.
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Before her death, Feinstein had suffered health setbacks.
After a case of shingles prompted her absence from the Senate, she returned to the chamber in May but she "was frail and using a wheelchair, voting only occasionally," The Associated Press reported. Feinstein’s absence caused some legislators to call for her resignation.
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Feinstein advocated for COVID-19 vaccines, introducing legislation in 2021 requiring a vaccine, a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery from the virus to fly domestically.
But we found no evidence that she tweeted the statement that appears in the Instagram post.
We rate claims that Feinstein tweeted about getting COVID-19 and flu vaccines days before her death False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, Sept. 29, 2023
Dianne Feinstein X account, visited Oct. 2, 2023
Dianne Feinstein X account, visited Oct. 2, 2023
The Associated Press, Feinstein returning to Senate after facing resignation calls, May 9, 2023
Dianne Feinstein website, Feinstein Introduces Bill Requiring COVID-19 Vaccine, Negative Test or Recovery Documentation for Domestic Air Travel, Sept. 29, 2021
Dianne Feinstein website, Statement on the Passing of Senator Feinstein, Sept. 29, 2023
The Associated Press, Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, trailblazer and champion of liberal priorities, dies at age 90, Sept. 29, 2023
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No, Sen. Dianne Feinstein didn’t tweet about getting a COVID-19 vaccine before her death
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