WHAT WAS CLAIMED
The WHO admits mRNA injections are causing a breast cancer epidemic.
OUR VERDICT
False. The WHO has said no such thing.
AAP FACTCHECK - The World Health Organization (WHO) has not admitted that mRNA vaccines are linked to surging breast cancer cases, despite claims being made online.
The WHO's research into breast cancer case rates and mortality only mentions two causes: higher alcohol intake and lower levels of physical activity.
The claim appears to have originated from an article published by The People's Voice, a site AAP FactCheck has debunked numerous times.
A Facebook post shares a link to the article, with its headline: "WHO Admits mRNA Injections Causing Cancer Epidemic Among Under 50s."
However, the headline and the intro are the only time mRNA vaccines are mentioned in the entire article.
No WHO representative is quoted and no evidence linking mRNA vaccines to breast cancer is presented.
The article reports on research on rising breast cancer rates recently published by experts from the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
It also links to a Daily Mail Online article about the IARC study predicting a surge in breast cancer incidence in under-50s in the UK by more than 40 per cent by 2050.
However, the Daily Mail story makes no mention of mRNA vaccines, nor does it say the WHO has admitted a link between breast cancer and vaccinations.
Indeed, it correctly reports the IARC has blamed the surge on a "rising and ageing population - combined with unhealthy lifestyles".
The IARC study was published in the journal Nature Medicine on February 24, 2025.
When asked if the WHO had admitted any link between mRNA vaccines and a surge in breast cancer, a spokeswoman told AAP FactCheck: "It's a baseless claim."
An IARC press release revealed the research on the burden of female breast cancer globally found that, on average, one in 20 women worldwide would be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
"If current rates continue, by 2050 there will be 3.2 million new breast cancer cases and 1.1 million breast cancer-related deaths per year," the IARC said.
Neither the terms "mRNA" nor "vaccines" are mentioned in the IARC release.
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