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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Did the Polio Vaccine Cause Cancer?

Did the Polio Vaccine Cause Cancer?

Q: Did people develop cancer because of the polio vaccine?

A: There are no known cases, and it’s very unlikely. In the 1950s and 1960s, people did receive polio vaccines contaminated with a virus that causes cancer in rodents. But research suggests this virus doesn’t cause cancer in humans.