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ago in General Factchecking by Journeyman (2.7k points)
"My sister received the covid shot while pregnant, and her baby was born with cancer." says one woman in a public forum discussing Texas Senate Bill 7, which would ban private workplaces from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine.

2 Answers

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ago by (190 points)

The document you have provided is a compilation of public comments regarding the proposed bill 7 which would give employers the right to mandate vaccinations for employees.  It's worth noting that at the top of the document states 

"Comments received by the committee reflect only the view of the individual(s) submitting the comment, who retain sole responsibility for the content of the comment. Neither the committee nor the Texas House of Representatives takes a position on the views expressed in any comment. The committee compiles the comments received for informational purposes only and does not exercise any editorial control over comments."

 Mindy Phillips of Prosper, Texas submitted a comment claiming her sister's baby was born with cancer, and links that diagnosis to her sister getting the COVID-19 Vaccine. The comment itself is purely anecdotal and has no validity on it's own. This compilation of comments is from 2023, and there are no articles substantiating Ms. Phillips claim that I can find. 

As far as information about a potential link between the COVID-19 and cancer here are some sources to evaluate. The American Cancer Society claims there is no link between the COVID-19 vaccine and cancer diagnoses. The Global Vaccine Data Network published a report which states that Mrna vaccinations causing cancer is not possible. This report from the International Journal of Health Planning and management finds no link between mothers getting the COVID-19 vaccine and increased likelihood of child cancer diagnoses. This case study found no adverse effects on infants who's mothers were vaccinated during pregnancy. 

Due to the anecdotal nature of the comment itself, the comment coming from 2023 with no follow up or proof as to the comment's validity, this claim cannot be proven true.

Can't be true or false (Opinion, poem, etc.)
ago by (190 points)
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Quick correction. The proposed Bill 7 would BAN private businesses from mandating vaccination, not allow businesses to do so.
ago by Newbie (240 points)
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Cjdennis provides a factual response to the stated claim. The link shared in this post is public commentary of legislation authored by members of the Texas state legislature. It does not validate the implied claim that the COVID-19 vaccine caused cancer in her sister's newborn child.

In fact, the Mayo Clinic reported that COVID-19 vaccines are not linked to a rise in cancer or more aggressive cancer. It states that researchers looked at the large groups of people who got a COVID-19 vaccine, and there is no evidence to support this myth.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-myths/art-20485720#:~:text=Do%20COVID%2D19%20vaccines%20cause,evidence%20to%20support%20this%20myth.
2 like 0 dislike
ago by (180 points)

In a compilation of public comments for submission to the House of Representatives' Committee on State Affairs in October 2023, Mindy Phillips of Prosper, Texas, makes the implicit claim that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer. Mindy provides no backing sources or details about preexisting health conditions, timing or type of vaccine, etc. 

This claim draws upon the "turbo cancer" conspiracy theory that developed during the pandemic, alleging that the COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA in particular) caused rapid cancer growths in vaccinated individuals. 

Reuters, the American Cancer Society, and the NIH National Cancer Institute have found no evidence that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer. Reuters includes statements from various immunology experts and cancer researchers from the John Hopkins Center for Health Security, Imperial College London, University of Edinburgh and more. The American Cancer Society asserts "there is no information that suggests that COVID-19 vaccines cause cancer."

Peer-reviewed studies also indicate vaccination amongst pregnant individuals is not correlated with miscarriage (Yale School of Medicine), nor major structural birth defects (NIH National Library of Medicine).

In sum: Mindy's claim that her sister received the COVID-19 vaccine and delivered a baby with cancer may be true (I was unable to find enough information on Mindy to confirm her personal anecdote). However, no evidence exists to directly correlate the vaccine and cancer. This claim can be classified as misleading, as Mindy falsely equates her personal story with a broader scientific untruth. 

Exaggerated/ Misleading

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