Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a doctor whose claims linking Covid vaccines to the cancers of King Charles and the Princess of Wales sparked significant controversy, is reportedly in discussions to initiate a defamation lawsuit against Health Secretary Wes Streeting. The dispute stems from comments made by Dr. Malhotra at the Reform UK conference in Birmingham, where he presented slides suggesting harms from Covid jabs and cited an oncologist who believed vaccines were a 'significant factor' in the royal family's cancers.

Dr. Malhotra's incendiary remarks, made under the banner of 'Make Britain Healthy Again,' led to an immediate backlash. Reform UK distanced itself from his statements, affirming belief in free speech but not endorsing the specific claims. Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, strongly condemned Dr. Malhotra's views, urging Nigel Farage and Reform to sever ties with what he called 'dangerous extremism' and 'poisonous lies.' Streeting further criticized Farage for giving a platform to someone making such 'baseless claims' and accused Dr. Malhotra of being an 'anti-vaxxer' responsible for the resurgence of diseases like whooping cough and measles due to decreased vaccine uptake.

In response, Dr. Malhotra told the Daily Mail he felt he was being used as a 'political football' due to his association with Reform UK, despite not being a member or writing their health policy. He denied being an 'anti-vaxxer,' clarifying that his concerns were specifically about Covid vaccine safety and that he initially supported their use for high-risk patients. Dr. Malhotra stated he would be open to a conversation with Streeting and an apology for the remarks, but until then, he would 'seriously consider' a defamation suit. He also expressed concern about the decreased uptake of vital traditional vaccines, attributing it to Covid mandates and a lack of acknowledgment for vaccine injuries.

The scientific and medical community has largely dismissed Dr. Malhotra's claims. A catalogue of medical professionals and the NHS have discredited his views. Cancer Research UK stated there is 'no' evidence that pandemic vaccines cause cancer, noting that mRNA technology is being developed to prevent various cancers. The Office for National Statistics also refuted claims that tens of thousands of excess deaths in 2022-23 were vaccine-related cancers. Professor Brian Ferguson, a viral immunologist from Cambridge University, called Dr. Malhotra's assertions an 'outlandish conspiracy theory' and 'pseudoscience,' particularly criticizing the attempt to link it to the royal family's health.

Despite the widespread dismissal, Dr. Malhotra cited Professor Angus Dalgleish, an oncologist at St George's University of London, who believes Covid vaccine boosters could cause changes to cells that might help cancers grow. Professor Dalgleish reportedly saw anecdotal cases of melanoma relapsing after boosters and claims other doctors observed similar phenomena. A recent contentious Korean study also suggested an association between jabs and a heightened risk of six cancer types, particularly for over-65s, though experts largely dismissed its conclusions as 'superficially alarming' and overblown. The General Medical Council is examining Dr. Malhotra's comments.