General Dynamics didn’t cancel a vaccine mandate

CLAIM: Top defense contractor General Dynamics canceled its COVID-19 vaccine mandate after some 40% of employees declined the vaccine and threatened to quit.

AP’S ASSESSMENT: False. There’s no truth to this claim, according to Jeff Davis, head of communications at General Dynamics. The company has not made any public statements about vaccine requirements.

THE FACTS: An unsourced Sept. 17 tweet falsely claiming that one of America’s largest defense contractors canceled a COVID-19 vaccine requirement sparked a flurry of misinformation that continued to circulate online on Monday.

“BREAKING,” read the Sept. 17 tweet. “General Dynamics corporation CANCELS Vaccine mandate after roughly 40% of employees decline the jab & threaten to walk.”

The tweet amassed more than 15,000 retweets and thousands more interactions on Facebook and Instagram over the weekend despite offering no evidence for its claims.

In fact, an Associated Press review of General Dynamics’ website found no evidence that any companywide vaccine requirements are currently in effect.

Davis, spokesperson for General Dynamics, confirmed the claims were false, and that the company has made no public statements about vaccine mandates.

“We are awaiting detailed guidance from the federal government about its vaccine mandate for contractors,” Davis said.

President Joe Biden earlier this month announced that COVID-19 vaccines will be mandatory for federal employees and contractors who do business with the federal government — with no option to test out. The order will include exceptions for workers seeking religious or medical exemptions from vaccination, according to press secretary Jen Psaki.

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This is part of AP’s effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP.