False: There has been a 20-fold increase in cancers among vaccinated individuals.

By: Vivek J
January 13 2022

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Reports about vaccinated people being more prone to cancer are unsubstantiated and propagated by anti-vaxxers to undermine the vaccination process.A social media post with a web link to an article published by "Greatgameindia" claims that there is a 20-fold increase in cancer among vaccinated individuals. Such claims are baseless and not backed by clinical evidence. Firstly, the article quoted an Idaho doctor, Dr. Ryan Cole. This doctor has a history of making several unsubstantiated claims about COVID-19 and vaccination against COVID-19. Cole once claimed that SARS-CoV-2 was not a severe infection and that it should be treated as common flu. He even referred to the vaccination drive as "needle rape," reaffirming his anti-vax stance. Cole has appeared on several podcasts and videos, making clinically unproven statements about COVID-19. Many social media handles that published his articles and interviews were banned for violating COVID-19 protocols and sharing misinformation about COVID-19. Secondly, the website that published this article, "Greatgameindia," has come under scrutiny for publishing unverified content. Logically published a report in April 2020 titled "Great Game India, Operation Infektion, and Coronavirus Origin Myths." In this myth buster, Greatgameindia was found to be unreliable despite publishing several well-presented contents. An in-depth analysis of Greatgameindia's conspiracy peddling can be found in the Logically report. In the "Greatgameindia" report, Cole was quoted saying that since January 1, 2021, he saw a 20-fold increase in endometrial cancer over what he usually saw on an annual basis. The doctor, however, has not presented any clinical data to substantiate this claim. He was further quoted arguing that vaccination against COVID-19 disables the cells in our immune system meant for defending against viruses and that this was causing people to become susceptible to various kinds of illnesses. His claims are false as COVID-19 vaccinations are used to enable our immune system to mimic the SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins and be prepared to identify and neutralize SARS-CoV-2 to prevent infection. None of the claims made by Cole are clinically proven with credible data, and he is making such unsubstantiated claims to peddle anti-vax propaganda. The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organization or your national healthcare authority.