The Claim:
A widely circulating video claims that a large study in Italy shows people who got COVID shots have a higher chance of getting cancer, proving that the vaccines caused a turbo cancer epidemic.
The Facts:
What the study actually found was that vaccinated people had a much lower risk of death overall (42–65% lower, depending on dose) compared with unvaccinated people. While there was a slight overall increase in hospitalization for cancer in vaccinated people, it varied by cancer type, gender, prior COVID infection, and how much time was required between vaccination and cancer diagnosis. When requiring at least 12 months lag between vaccination and diagnosis, the association went away or even reversed for some cancers. The study found large protective effects against death, which the video ignored.
The authors emphasized that some results may be explained by confounding factors, healthy vaccinee bias, and the fact that hospital data alone do not capture all cancers.
Not to mention that the idea that COVID vaccines cause “turbo cancer” has no scientific backing. Even the most potent carcinogens take years to cause cancer, making claims of sudden cancer spikes implausible.
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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