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Claim: All persons who received a COVID-19 vaccine may develop diseases such as cancer and vision loss.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook page called, “DSWD TV,” posted a pseudo-newscast on August 24, narrated by a male anchor, and which linked to an external site allegedly listing supposed post-vaccine diseases.
The video has amassed more than 700,000 views, 24,000 reactions, and 5,000 comments, and 19,000 shares as of writing.
The anchor in the newscast narrates, “Tinatawag ang lahat na nagpabakuna noong COVID-19 ay makakaranas ng iba’t-ibang sakit gaya ng cancer at panlalabo ng mata. Tignan sa post ang mga detalye.” (Calling on everyone who got vaccinated during COVID-19 who are now at possible risk of developing various diseases such as cancer and vision loss. See details in the post.)
The post also included links to its caption containing the list of illnesses that could be developed after getting the vaccine.
In the video’s comment section, several netizens expressed fear and frustration over having been vaccinated. One wrote, “Ako nanghina mula noong nagpabakuna ako… Malaki ang ibinagsak ng katawan ko.” (I’ve felt weak since I got vaccinated, I lost a lot of weight.)
The facts: Health authorities have stressed that COVID-19 vaccines are safe and are not linked, or can lead, to cancer, blindness, or other serious illnesses. The newscast used in the claim is AI-generated. Hive Moderation flagged it as 99% AI-generated or having deepfake content.
A faint “Veo” watermark can be seen in the lower right corner during the last two seconds of the clip, partially washed out by the white graphics. Google Veo is a text-to-video AI generator that can create narrated clips from prompts, showing that the reel was likely machine-produced rather than an actual news broadcast.
The post also carried no AI label and instead directed viewers to an external e-commerce site unrelated to health, raising risks of spam or phishing. (READ: Phishing 101: How to spot and avoid phishing)
Never-ending vaccine myths: COVID-19 vaccine disinformation has persisted since its initial roll-out in 2021. The US Center for Disease Control (CDC), however, strongly notes that COVID-19 vaccines went through extensive testing and remain under continuous monitoring, with no evidence connecting them to cancer or chronic disease.
Independent fact-checks by Reuters and FactCheck.org also found no studies supporting claims that vaccination causes or accelerates cancer, dismissing the “turbo cancer” narrative as disinformation.
Some eye-related side effects have been reported, but they are very rare and usually mild. Safety monitoring systems such as VAERS continue to track potential adverse effects, and experts conclude that the protection vaccines provide against COVID-19 far outweighs these concerns.
The Department of Health (DOH) has consistently warned against the spread of COVID-19 disinformation, urging the public not to share unverified claims about vaccines or treatments.
COVID-19 disinformation: Rappler has debunked numerous claims related to COVID-19 throughout the years, including ones about the vaccine:
FACT CHECK: No news report about new COVID-19 variant in PH
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FACT CHECK: Chinese lab did not create ‘mutant’ COVID-19 strain with 100% kill rate
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FACT CHECK: No evidence that COVID-19 vaccine causes cancer
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FACT CHECK: Florida health official’s COVID-19 vaccine claims baseless – experts
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FACT CHECK: Post on alleged Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine side effects is false
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– Cyril Bocar/Rappler.com
Efren Cyril Bocar is a journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar who graduated with a degree in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. Cyril is also a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.
Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time.
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