No, Dianne Feinstein did not post about flu, COVID-19 vaccines before death | Fact check

Chris Mueller, USA TODAY
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The claim: Sen. Dianne Feinstein posted about receiving flu, COVID-19 vaccines days before she died

A Sept. 29 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a screenshot of a post on X, formerly Twitter, supposedly from the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

"Just received the new Flu and COVID vaccine, make sure to get yours," reads the X post.

The post's caption reads, "And 2 days later, she's dead. Go figure."

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Our rating: False

There is no evidence Feinstein posted such a statement. It does not appear on her verified social media accounts or website, and a spokesperson for her office said it was fake.

Feinstein did not post about flu, COVID-19 vaccines before her death

Feinstein, the longest-serving female senator in U.S. history, died Sept. 28 at her home in Washington, D.C., as USA TODAY previously reported. She was 90 years old and the oldest sitting U.S. senator.

She had been beset by health problems in recent years. She was hospitalized with shingles in March, which forced her to step away from the Senate for almost three months. She was hospitalized again in August after suffering a fall at her home.

But there is no evidence that Feinstein, a Democrat from California, posted about receiving vaccines in the days before she died. No such statement appears on any of her verified social media accounts or her website.

The X account shown in the Instagram post had not made any posts as of Oct. 2. It also misspells Feinstein's first name as "Diane," rather than the correct spelling, Dianne.

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Ron Eckstein, Feinstein's press secretary, told USA TODAY the post is not a real statement from Feinstein.

"That screenshot is from a fake account," he said. "Sen. Feinstein’s first name was Dianne, not Diane."

In an opinion column originally published in May 2021 by the Fresno Bee, Feinstein described the COVID-19 vaccine as safe and effective, and she urged people to get vaccinated against the disease.

The flu vaccine is the "best way to reduce your chances of getting the seasonal flu and spreading it to others," and the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No, Feinstein did not post about vaccines before death | Fact check