Sarah Bennett
In 2015, several alternative health sites published articles claiming that the CDC had admitted that 98 million Americans had been injected with a cancer-causing virus through the polio vaccine. However, this claim is false. While it is true that some polio vaccines administered between 1955 and 1963 were contaminated with simian virus 40 (SV40), the CDC has not stated that this contamination caused cancer in humans. In fact, the CDC has said that most studies have found no causal relationship between SV40 and cancer in humans, and there is no evidence that anyone has contracted cancer from a polio vaccination.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Claim | CDC admitted that 98 million Americans were given a “cancer virus” through the polio vaccine |
| Fact | The CDC has made no such statement |
| Source of claim | A 2015 article published by Vaccine.news, which is part of the Natural News Network, a collection of sites known for anti-vaccine content |
| Year of claim | 2015 |
| Years of polio vaccine contamination | 1955 to 1963 |
| Number of Americans vaccinated during those years | 98 million |
| Percentage of contaminated vaccines | 10-30% |
| Type of virus in contaminated vaccines | Simian virus 40 (SV40) |
| SV40 cancer risk in humans | No causal relationship found |
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What You'll Learn
- The CDC did not admit that the polio vaccine gave millions of Americans a 'cancer virus'
- The SV40 virus is a contaminant in early polio vaccines
- SV40 has not been proven to cause cancer in humans
- The CDC did not delete pages linking polio vaccines to cancer from their website
- The polio vaccine is a source of concern because it was contaminated with SV40
The CDC did not admit that the polio vaccine gave millions of Americans a 'cancer virus'
The claim that the CDC admitted that the polio vaccine gave millions of Americans a cancer virus is false. The CDC has made no such statement and the claim misrepresents a fact sheet put out by the agency in 2007, which was removed from the CDC's website in 2013. The fact sheet stated that more than 98 million people in the US were vaccinated against polio between 1955 and 1963, and that SV40 (simian virus 40) had contaminated 10-30% of those immunizations.
SV40 is a polyomavirus that commonly infects certain species of Asian macaques, especially the rhesus monkey. While SV40 can cause cancer in rodents, it is harmless to monkeys, producing no symptoms. The CDC has confirmed that the claim spreading online about the polio vaccine is false. The agency's website states that "most studies looking at the relationship between SV40 and cancers are reassuring, finding no causal association between receipt of SV40-contaminated polio vaccine and development of cancer."
The bottom line is that it is highly unlikely that the polio vaccine contaminated in the '50s and '60s caused anyone to develop cancer. The CDC says that the enormous amount of epidemiological evidence shows that people who received polio vaccines containing SV40 do not have an increased risk of cancer. In fact, thanks to the polio vaccine, the US has been virtually "polio-free" for 30 years, according to the CDC.
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The SV40 virus is a contaminant in early polio vaccines
The SV40 virus, or simian virus 40, is a polyomavirus that infects certain species of Asian macaques, especially the rhesus monkey. It was discovered in 1960 that some of the monkey kidney cells used to make the polio vaccines were contaminated with SV40. The virus was found in 10-30% of the 98 million polio vaccine shots administered between 1955 and 1963. Once the contamination was discovered, steps were taken to eliminate it from future vaccines.
SV40 has biological properties consistent with a cancer-causing virus, and it can cause cancer in rodents. However, the link between SV40 and cancer in humans is still unclear. While some studies have found SV40 in certain types of human cancer, others have found no causal association between the contaminated polio vaccine and the development of cancer. The CDC has stated that most studies have found no causal relationship between SV40 and cancer in humans.
The concern about the potential for SV40-contaminated polio vaccines to cause cancer has been a source of controversy and has been widely discussed in scientific literature. Some studies have looked at the presence of SV40 in tumors and the effects of the virus or its gene products on cell cultures. Other studies have examined the epidemiological evidence for a causal association between SV40 and cancer. However, the findings have been inconclusive, and more research is needed to fully understand the potential role of SV40 in human cancer.
It is important to note that polio is a devastating disease that has caused significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. The development of the polio vaccine has helped to drastically reduce the number of cases and deaths due to the disease. While the SV40 contamination in early polio vaccines is a legitimate concern, it is important to consider the benefits of the vaccine in controlling polio and weigh them against the potential risks associated with SV40 contamination.
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SV40 has not been proven to cause cancer in humans
In 1960, scientists discovered that some of the monkey kidney cells used to make the polio vaccines were contaminated with simian virus 40 (SV40). While SV40 is harmless to monkeys, it can cause cancer in rodents. This contamination led to concerns about its effects on humans. The CDC confirmed that 10-30% of the 98 million polio vaccine shots administered between 1955 and 1963 were contaminated with SV40.
However, the CDC has stated that most studies have found no causal relationship between SV40 and cancer in humans. The agency's fact sheet from 2007, which was removed from its website in 2013, acknowledged that SV40 has been found in certain types of human cancers but emphasized that a causal relationship has not been established. The fact sheet's removal sparked rumors that the CDC was hiding information about a link between the polio vaccine and cancer.
Indeed, SV40 has become a rallying point for anti-vaccination activists, who blame it for various ailments, including cancer and HIV/AIDS. However, population-level studies have not shown extensive evidence of increased cancer incidence due to SV40 exposure. A 35-year follow-up study did not find excess numbers of cancers associated with SV40. Additionally, an epidemiological study of recipients of an SV40-contaminated adenovirus vaccine found no evidence of an increased risk of cancer.
While some studies have suggested a possible link between SV40 and specific types of cancer, such as mesothelioma, the evidence is inconclusive. It is important to note that SV40 is a DNA virus that can cause tumors in humans, but it often persists as a dormant infection. Overall, the weight of the evidence suggests that SV40 is unlikely to be a significant cause of cancer in humans, and the claim that the CDC admitted that the polio vaccine gave millions of Americans a cancer virus is false.
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The CDC did not delete pages linking polio vaccines to cancer from their website
In 2015, several alternative health websites published articles claiming that the CDC had "admitted" that 98 million Americans had been injected with a cancer-causing virus through the polio vaccine. These articles were based on a misinterpretation of a fact sheet published by the CDC more than 10 years ago. The fact sheet discussed the contamination of some polio vaccines administered between 1955 and 1963 with simian virus 40 (SV40). However, the CDC has never stated that this contamination caused cancer in humans.
While it is true that SV40 can cause cancer in laboratory animals, the CDC and other scientific sources emphasize that most studies have found no causal relationship between SV40 and cancer in humans. The CDC's website states that "most studies looking at the relationship between SV40 and cancers are reassuring, finding no causal association between receipt of SV40-contaminated polio vaccine and development of cancer." This information has been updated and moved on the CDC website, but it has not been deleted.
The original claim that the CDC had admitted to a link between the polio vaccine and cancer was based on a misunderstanding of the facts. The CDC has confirmed that the claim spreading online is false. The agency continues to recommend that children receive four doses of the polio vaccine to increase immunity to the virus.
The polio vaccine has been highly successful in controlling the disease. In 1954, the year before the polio vaccine became widely available, the U.S. saw more than 18,000 reported cases of paralytic polio and over 1,000 deaths. By 1964, those numbers had dropped significantly, and the U.S. has been virtually "polio-free" for 30 years, according to the CDC.
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The polio vaccine is a source of concern because it was contaminated with SV40
The SV40 virus was discovered in the polio vaccine in 1960, when scientists found that some of the monkey kidney cells used to make the vaccine were contaminated. While the virus is harmless to monkeys, it can cause cancer in rodents when administered in high doses. Despite this, the CDC has stated that "most studies looking at the relationship between SV40 and cancers are reassuring, finding no causal association between receipt of SV40-contaminated polio vaccine and development of cancer."
In fact, an expert from the National Cancer Institute believes that "the field has largely concluded that SV40 is not a cause of human cancer." This is supported by the fact that there is no evidence that anyone has ever contracted cancer from a polio vaccination. The concern about the SV40-contaminated polio vaccine arose because it had been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals, but subsequent studies in humans have found no causal link.
The polio vaccine has been highly effective in controlling a devastating disease. By 1964, the number of reported cases and deaths due to polio in the US had dropped significantly, and the country has been virtually ""polio-free" for 30 years, according to the CDC. However, the discovery of SV40 contamination in the early years of the vaccine's administration led to increased scrutiny and regulation of vaccine manufacturing and distribution.
In summary, while the polio vaccine was contaminated with SV40 and caused concern, the extensive evidence shows that it did not increase the risk of cancer in humans. The contamination was a result of the use of monkey kidney cells in the vaccine's development, and the subsequent response to this incident helped improve vaccine safety and oversight.
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Frequently asked questions
No, the CDC did not admit that the polio vaccine contained a cancer virus. The claim misrepresents a fact sheet put out by the agency in 2007, which stated that 10-30% of the 98 million shots administered between 1955 and 1963 were contaminated with SV40, but that most studies have found no causal relationship between SV40 and cancer in humans.
SV40, or simian virus 40, is a polyomavirus that commonly infects certain species of Asian macaques, especially the rhesus monkey. It is harmless to monkeys and produces no symptoms, but it can cause cancer in rodents.
No, the CDC did not remove the information. They moved and updated it.
