Crash death doctors were not studying a link between vaccines and 'turbo cancer'

Context

An Instagram account with more than 485,000 followers known for posting conspiracy-related content created a post (archived here) claiming, "The eight oncologists who died in a plane crash in Brazil were studying the link between mRNA vaccines and rapidly-rising turbo cancer. They were going to publish their findings." 

The post also states that the doctors were flying to a conference when their plane "coincidentally crashed." It has garnered more than 9,000 likes within less than a week. 

Other similar posts making the same claim, including some with the photo of the eight doctors, have been shared on social media (archived here, here, and here). However, no proof exists that they studied the link between mRNA vaccines and "turbo cancer" — a conspiracy theory that has been debunked by many, including Logically Facts. 

In fact

The plane crash in Brazil, which occurred in August 2024, claimed the lives of 62 people, including eight doctors.

According to international media outlets, at least some of the victims were heading to an ontology conference. However, no credible evidence supports the claim that they were researching a supposed link between mRNA vaccines and "turbo cancer." None of the victims were known to be working on such a project, nor is there any record of them planning to present findings related to the topic. According to Brazil's Federal Council of Medicine, the victims were traveling from Cascavel to São Paulo in search of knowledge to treat their patients better.

"Turbo cancer" is a term used in anti-vaccination conspiracy theories with no recognized medical basis. The concept suggests that mRNA vaccines cause an accelerated form of cancer. It has been debunked by scientific experts and currently lacks peer-reviewed evidence. The doctors who passed away have not been associated with anti-vaccine movements, and they have not publicly expressed concerns about mRNA vaccines. Additionally, they have not published any related articles or findings.

Reports from credible sources, including Brazilian news outlets and international media, do not report any link between the victims and vaccine research. Brazil's aviation accident investigation team formed a committee to oversee the probe into the plane crash, but the investigation is still ongoing, and the cause of the crash remains unknown. So far, the authorities have suggested no conspiracy or foul play.

The verdict

Although there were eight doctors among 62 killed in Brazil's plane crash, there is no evidence they had been studying the link between mRNA vaccines and "turbo cancer."