Prominent Thai lung specialist dismisses claim that mRNA boosters cause lymphoma

A leading lung specialist at Bangkok’s Vichaiyut Hospital has completely dismissed claims that mRNA boosters against Covid-19 can cause ‘lymphoma’. According to a Nation Thailand report, Dr Manoon Leechawengwongs has rubbished the claims as “fake news”, urging Thais not to believe them, citing a long list of evidence of the vaccines’ efficacy and no credible reports linking the mRNA vaccines with lymphoma.

It’s understood the rumour began circulating on social media and has now been widely-shared by Thai internet users. The claim is that the high level of immunity offered by mRNA boosters could trigger lymphoma. Manoon says the story seems to have originated as a result of a woman who initially thought she had developed lymphoma symptoms after receiving an mRNA booster.

According to Manoon, the 45 year old woman was healthy and had received 2 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, followed by a booster dose of Pfizer in January. She then developed 2 small lumps above her collarbones, with the one on the left being bigger. She didn’t have a fever and reported no other symptoms, such as loss of appetite or weight loss. She didn’t have a cough, didn’t smoke, and had no history of tuberculosis.

A medical check-up on April 30 showed that the woman’s lymph nodes were very enlarged, with the left set up to 4 times larger than the set on the right. The woman had a lung x-ray, which didn’t find any abnormality. The hospital then tested a sample taken from the woman’s left set of lymph nodes and confirmed the woman had a TB infection, not lymphoma.

SOURCE: Nation Thailand