The Claim:
People online have falsely used videos of Patrick Soon-Shiong, who owns the LA Times newspaper. They used parts of the videos to say that children are getting colon and pancreatic cancer now because of the COVID vaccines.
The Facts:
- The tweet added words that Dr. Soon-Shiong did not say.
- He was discussing viruses and cancer, not vaccines causing cancer.
- He has also supported research on COVID and cancer vaccines.
The tweet changes the meaning of what Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong said. It adds the words “in relation to COVID vaccines” to his quote, even though those words were not part of what he said.
Dr. Soon-Shiong was talking about viruses that can lead to cancer. Some viruses can damage cells or cause long-lasting infections that raise the risk of certain cancers. Two viruses that can cause cancer, HPV and Hepatitis B, can be prevented by vaccination. That makes them cancer-preventing vaccines.
One of his concerns was whether COVID vaccines could help the body fully get rid of the COVID virus. He was not saying that COVID vaccines cause cancer.
Dr. Soon-Shiong has also supported vaccine research. He helped launch a project in South Africa to develop vaccines for COVID-19 and cancer. The project involved the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), two research organizations that study science and health.