Vaccine opponents are circulating false and misleading claims about COVID-19 vaccines causing cancer, with several posts racking up millions of views. One popular post falsely claims the SV40 DNA sequence in COVID-19 vaccines “drives DNA into the nucleus,” while another claims that “massive levels” of “foreign” DNA have been found in COVID-19 vaccines. The posts insinuate that these DNA fragments are driving up cancer rates.
The persistence and pervasiveness of this myth increase its risks. Debunking messaging may emphasize that the SV40 sequence used in COVID-19 vaccines is harmless and not cancer-causing. Although SV40 has been shown to cause cancer in rodents, the part of the SV40 virus that enters the cell nucleus and is associated with cancer-causing properties is the T antigen, which is not in any vaccine. Messaging may also highlight how vaccine opponents have promoted the myth that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer since the vaccines’ introduction. Over three years of research have found no link between any COVID-19 vaccine and cancer.
