Statement attributable to:
Isaac O. Opole, MBChB, PhD, MACP
President, American College of Physicians
WASHINGTON June 26, 2024 – The American College of Physicians (ACP) is appreciative of the U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing the federal government to combat medical misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccination on major social media platforms.
Vaccines are a critical public health tool and misinformation about vaccines puts the health of patients, families, and communities at risk and undermine vaccine uptake. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic we saw how misinformation can harm the health of our patients.
Because of the harm that misinformation can have on public health, ACP joined with other physician organizations in an amicus brief in this case. We believe that the federal government should partner with social media and other outlets to elevate evidence-based, credible sources. ACP is extremely concerned about the impact that medical misinformation has on public health and will continue to fight to dispel vaccine misinformation and disinformation and safeguard the public health.
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About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 161,000 internal medicine physicians, related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Contact: Laura Baldwin, (215) 351-2668,lbaldwin@acponline.org