The Claim:
A 47-year-old Canadian woman has filed a lawsuit against her government and a television network, claiming that vaccines caused permanent Bell’s Palsy and other psychological harms.
The Facts:
Court cases are about settling legal disputes based on the law, not ruling on scientific facts. Scientific research uses peer-reviewed studies, clinical trials, and systematic reviews to test, analyze data, and reach consensus among the scientific community to determine the validity and reliability of our understanding.
Court cases might get people talking about medical issues, trigger more research, or even sway policy decisions, but when it comes to scientific truth, we rely on those scientists and their methods and not the courts.
Bell’s palsy is an unexplained episode of facial muscle weakness or paralysis. The cause is currently unknown, but it may be triggered by immune challenges such as infection and, on very rare occasions, vaccination.
The cases of Bell’s palsy after COVID vaccination have been watched closely and studied. Observational studies have found that the occurrence of Bell’s palsy after vaccination is not significantly higher than what would be expected in the general population without vaccination.
However, certain systemic reviews have shown a slight increase in Bell’s palsy among those who received vaccines compared to those who did not. In all cases, the risk of Bell’s palsy after COVID infection was much higher than the risk of Bell’s palsy after vaccination.
Disclaimer: Science is always evolving and our understanding of these topics may have evolved too since this was originally posted. Be sure to check out our most recent posts and browse the latest Just the Facts Topics for the latest.
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