United States: The side-effects of COVID vaccines are known across the world; recently, a few patients have shared complaints about getting severely injured and have expressed that now they feel “abandoned” by the government and their doctors.

According to the reports by DailyMail.com, more than dozens of healthcare workers, military staff, and federal employees had highlighted that they were dealing with severe and deadly side effects of the vaccines for COVID-19 infection alone when they were legally required to take it for their jobs.

The news daily has shared the experience of three women who were accused of being anti-vaxxers because they raised their concerns about their injuries – caused by COVID-19 vaccination.

As per the official data shared by the US officials, COVID vaccines have contributed towards saving millions of lives worldwide, and a serious side effect is extremely rare – which is reported among one (1) in 200,000 people.

However, specialists argue that the strong effort to combat harmful anti-vaccine misinformation has resulted in those who suffer from legitimate post-vaccination injuries being marginalized and ignored.

Michelle Utter, a Florida resident, was informed that in order to visit her sons, both in the military and stationed at port, she needed to receive the Covid vaccine in 2021.

Just days later, this once-athletic woman found herself crawling on the floor, engulfed by an overwhelming internal sensation as though her body was ablaze. Now, the mother of three struggles to remain standing long enough to prepare even the simplest of meals, according to reports by DailyMail.com.

Danielle Baker of Ohio had never been healthier when she decided to get vaccinated, doing so to maintain her employment as a nurse.

Only hours after her second dose, she experienced excruciating back pain that rendered her immobile. Now, she grapples with heart and lung failure, uncertain how much time she has left.

In Texas, Gina Henson, who worked at a care facility, received the vaccine to protect the elderly residents she cared for.

Six months later, she was diagnosed with brain inflammation, a condition that led to a stroke and an arduous three-month hospital recovery. Now, she is no longer able to work.

As of September 2024, approximately 13,400 claims related to the Covid vaccine have been submitted to the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), a federal initiative designed to provide restitution for medical injuries or fatalities.

However, only one-fourth of these claims have been processed by the Health Resources & Services Administration, a branch of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Out of the reviewed cases, just 58 were deemed “eligible for compensation.” To qualify, claimants must conclusively demonstrate that their injuries were caused by the vaccine itself.

Danielle Baker had never intended to take the vaccine. Having contracted Covid in 2020, she believed her immune system had naturally built up protection, as reported by DailyMail.com.

But in May 2021, the 42-year-old nurse, with two decades of experience, received a company-wide email stating that all employees must be vaccinated by July or risk losing their jobs.

“I felt like I had no choice if I wanted to keep my job,” Baker, now 45, told DailyMail.com.

The first Pfizer dose only brought mild discomfort, but the second dose had profound and immediate effects.

Within hours, intense pain began radiating from her injected arm to her face.

When the discomfort persisted the following day, Baker initially thought the injection might have hit a nerve.

“Unfortunately, the issue ran far deeper,” she said.

Over the subsequent weeks, her health rapidly declined. Debilitating back pain emerged, and soon after, she lost the ability to walk and control her bladder and bowels.

“This kind of thing doesn’t happen,” she confided to her husband. “People don’t just go from being the healthiest they’ve ever been to this.”

Doctors diagnosed her with transverse myelitis, a rare condition in which inflammation damages the myelin coating around the spinal cord, disrupting the body’s communication system. This can result in intense pain, muscle weakness, paralysis, and loss of bladder and bowel function, as per DailyMail.com.

While it is typically triggered by viral infections, there are rare instances where vaccinations have been cited as potential causes, as noted by Mayo Clinic.

Her medical records, which were reviewed by DailyMail.com, indicated her symptoms stemmed from an “adverse reaction to the Covid-19 vaccine.”

Baker’s neurologist suggested that her prior Covid infection may have led to Long Covid, weakening her immune system.

“Taking the vaccine pushed my immune system beyond its breaking point,” she said.

Once an avid outdoorswoman who frequently hunted and fished, Baker now requires oxygen support to breathe and is no longer able to drive. Some days, even dressing herself is a monumental task.

“I don’t know how much time I have left,” she said. “We’re already preparing for my funeral because of all this.”

“The impact has been catastrophic, both emotionally and financially. We’ve lost everything,” she continued, as per DailyMail.com.

“My heart breaks for my family. For the longest time, my son kept asking, ‘When are you going to get better, Mama?’ And I think he’s finally come to terms with the fact that I won’t.”

Despite her ordeal, Baker does not identify as strictly anti-vaccine.

“My concern is with the lack of follow-up for those who suffer adverse reactions,” she said. “If something goes wrong, there’s nobody to help you.”

Michelle Utter, 52, was in the best physical condition of her life prior to receiving the vaccine in January 2021.

The mother of three regularly ran miles each day and participated in CrossFit and martial arts.

“I was at my peak,” she recalled.

However, when she wanted to visit her two sons as they came ashore in 2021, she was informed that all visitors must be fully vaccinated against Covid.

“I got the shot so I could see my kids,” she explained.

Roughly 40 minutes after receiving her second dose, Utter, who had always been up to date on her vaccinations, began to experience an intense sensation akin to needles prickling her skin.

“I felt like I was burning from the inside out,” she said. “I’ve never felt this tired or this sick in my entire life.”

The pain was so severe that she collapsed, crawling to the bathroom as the left side of her body became immobile.

“It was the most terrifying experience of my life,” she said. “I looked at myself in the mirror, and it was the first time I truly felt fear.”

According to DailyMail.com, Utter was eventually diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin sheath surrounding peripheral nerves.

Although the cause of CIDP is unclear, some cases have been linked to the Covid vaccine.

To manage her condition, Utter must undergo expensive antibody treatments, draining her savings and threatening her financial security.

“Nobody is studying our cases. The government has abandoned us, leaving us to bear the costs,” she lamented.

“I’m no longer the person I used to be, and I miss her. This is the worst thing I’ve ever experienced.”

Gina Henson didn’t exhibit any symptoms immediately after receiving both doses of the Pfizer vaccine in early 2021.

But six months later, the 52-year-old suffered a stroke.

Doctors attributed it to vasculitis, a condition in which inflamed blood vessels thicken, restricting blood flow to vital organs.

In Henson’s case, the stroke affected her brain.

The exact cause of vasculitis remains uncertain, though infections, blood cancers, and autoimmune disorders are known triggers. Some research has also suggested a link between the Covid vaccine and vasculitis.

In a 2023 case report, a healthy 47-year-old woman experienced severe weakness and back pain after receiving her first Pfizer vaccine dose, as reported by DailyMail.com.

Henson’s stroke left her paralyzed on the right side, and after three months in the hospital, she struggled to return to her daily activities. Though she attempted to resume work, mobility challenges eventually forced her to retire.

“I used to be full of energy, outpacing even the nurses around me,” she said. “Now, I’m barely able to walk.”

Dr. Paul Offit, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, acknowledged the rarity of adverse vaccine reactions but emphasized that the risk of avoiding vaccination far outweighs the potential consequences of receiving the shot.

“In 2021, you were 12 times more likely to be hospitalized or die if unvaccinated. By 2022, that number was still six times higher,” he noted.

“A decision not to vaccinate is a choice to embrace a different and, arguably, more dangerous risk.”

Reportedly, data from the CDC indicates that only two severe adverse effects are conclusively tied to Covid vaccines—anaphylaxis and myocarditis, both heart conditions.

The incidence rate for these complications is roughly one in 200,000 doses administered.

Dr. Offit concluded, “These vaccines are likely among the most thoroughly studied in human history. Systems were in place to track any side effects, and no other significant patterns emerged.”

United States: The United States has been dealing with the havoc from two major hurricanes – Helene and Milton and amid this chaos, health officials have also sounded alarm for the floodwaters, which could leave deadly health risks behind.

Recently, the Florida Department of Health has asked the residents and citizens to avoid contact with floodwaters as it may lead to exposure to Vibrio vulnificus – a bacteria that can result in death.

The department, while sharing the warning, mentioned, “Vibrio bacteria, commonly found in warm coastal waters, can cause illness when ingested or when open wounds are exposed to contaminated water.” Along with this, it was mentioned that heavy rainfall and flooding provide an appropriate place for vibrio to grow, according to reports by ABC News.

In Cedar Key, approximately 100 miles distant from the epicenter of Helene’s Category 4 impact on September 26, an alarming surge of cellulitis cases, a bacterial infection exacerbated by exposure to contaminated floodwaters, was observed. Tami Wilkes, APRN, affiliated with Cedar Key Healthcare, a local clinic, reported this rise in infections alongside an uptick in patients requiring treatment for lacerations, respiratory conditions such as asthma and bronchitis, and tetanus vaccinations.

Wilkes informed ABC News that the clinic had seen a convergence of these diverse medical needs. “The county health department dispatched a mobile unit to administer tetanus shots, and we collaborated by providing sutures, antibiotics, and nebulizer treatments to address the spectrum of needs,” she said, noting the exhaustive efforts being made to reopen the clinic under challenging conditions.

Helene’s landfall brought unprecedented storm surges to the Gulf Coast, a pattern anticipated to repeat with Milton’s approach. These surges result in the intermingling of saltwater with freshwater, creating a fertile environment for bacterial proliferation, according to Dr. Scott Rivkees, a renowned pediatric endocrinologist and physician-scientist who served as Florida’s state surgeon general and secretary of health from 2019 to 2021.

“Where saline and freshwater meet, vibrio bacteria find an ideal breeding ground,” Rivkees explained. “If an individual with an open wound, or someone with a compromised immune system—like cancer patients—comes into contact with brackish water, vibrio can swiftly take hold,” as per ABC News.

Rivkees, also a professor at Brown University’s School of Public Health, described vibrio as “one of the most virulent bacterial infections known,” cautioning that severe cases can necessitate skin debridement, amputation, or lead to mortality.

He further emphasized that long after a hurricane’s winds have dissipated, the most insidious threat to human health remains the contaminated waters left behind. “More fatalities occur in the aftermath of a storm than during it, with drowning being a predominant concern,” Rivkees stated, underscoring the hazards of navigating floodwaters by vehicle.

Beyond the risk of drowning, individuals unknowingly face further peril, especially if they bear open wounds or sustain cuts while engaging in post-storm debris removal efforts.

In Florida, Rivkees noted that septic systems are frequently compromised by hurricanes, spilling into the groundwater and contributing to the hazardous mix of brackish water where bacteria like vibrio flourish.

He further detailed that damaged boats, which release septic waste and fuel into residential flood zones, exacerbate the health risks in these communities, as per ABC News.

Additionally, Florida’s climate turns floodwaters into thriving ecosystems for mosquito populations, while displaced wildlife, such as venomous water moccasins, may lurk in the aftermath of habitat destruction, further endangering human safety.

In murky floodwaters, hidden debris such as sharp objects or downed electrical wires pose substantial risks of injury.

Critical Safety Measures

Rivkees stressed that the primary safeguard residents should follow after a hurricane is to heed the instructions of local safety officials regarding the timing of their return to affected areas. “There’s a strong temptation to rush back to check on homes, but first responders need time to ensure the area is secure,” he advised. “Waiting for the official ‘all clear’ is crucial to prevent further complications,” as per ABC News.

For those who must navigate flood-affected zones, Rivkees urged vigilance regarding any open cuts or abrasions and advised the use of protective gear.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also advocates for protective measures when dealing with floodwaters, advising individuals to wear rubber boots, gloves, and goggles if unavoidable contact occurs.

ABC News reported that post-exposure hygiene is critical, with the CDC recommending thorough cleansing of skin with soap and clean water and laundering contaminated clothing in hot water and detergent. Open wounds exposed to floodwater should be washed immediately and monitored by healthcare professionals for signs of infection.

Symptoms of severe infection warranting medical intervention include increased redness, swelling, or tenderness around a wound, any presence of embedded foreign material, and systemic symptoms such as fever, nausea, confusion, extreme pain, breathing difficulties, or elevated heart rate, according to the CDC.

United States: Heart attacks and strokes have been increasing at a rapid pace due to COVID-19 infection – even after the time span of around three years of the infection, according to the conclusion drawn by a large new study.

According to the reports, the researchers published the study in the medical journal Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology on Wednesday. The conclusion was made after the research was conducted on a quarter of a million people who enrolled in UK Biobank – a large database.

The dataset analyzed by researchers encompassed over 11,000 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020, with nearly 3,000 requiring hospitalization due to their infections. These patients were compared to more than 222,000 individuals from the same database without a history of COVID-19 during the same period, according to the reports published by CNN Health.

The study revealed that individuals who contracted COVID-19 in 2020—before vaccines were available—faced double the risk of experiencing major cardiac events, such as heart attacks, strokes, or death, for nearly three years post-infection when compared to those without a positive COVID-19 test. Among those hospitalized for their COVID-19 infections, the risk of major cardiac events was over three times higher than for individuals without COVID-19 in their medical records.

Heart disease and stroke risk ⏫. “The findings reported are not a small effect in a small subgroup.”

I do really wonder how science-inclined people read this and then think “I’ll be fine doing little to nothing to prevent getting covid every year.”https://t.co/gPETf1Kx6r

— Blake Murdoch (@BlakeMMurdoch) October 9, 2024

Interestingly, for hospitalized patients, the elevated risk of future heart attacks and strokes due to COVID-19 was comparable to that associated with diabetes or peripheral artery disease (PAD). A separate study estimated that over 3.5 million Americans were hospitalized due to COVID-19 between May 2020 and April 2021.

Dr Stanley Hazen, who leads the Cardiovascular & Metabolic Sciences department at the Cleveland Clinic and co-author of the study, noted a concerning finding: the increased risk of heart complications did not diminish over time. “There’s no sign of attenuation of that risk,” he remarked, calling this result both surprising and significant, as per CNN.

Dr Patricia Best, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic and not involved in the study, emphasized that while infections generally increase the risk of heart attacks—such as influenza—the effects typically wane shortly after the infection. However, COVID-19 presents a uniquely substantial and enduring risk.

The underlying mechanisms for these prolonged cardiovascular effects remain unclear. Previous studies indicated that the coronavirus can infect endothelial cells lining blood vessels. It has been detected in atherosclerotic plaques, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Dr Hooman Allayee, a co-author of the study, proposed that COVID-19 might destabilize arterial plaques, making them more susceptible to rupture and subsequent clot formation.

Further analysis by Allayee and his graduate student James Hilser explored whether genetic risk factors for heart disease or COVID-19 susceptibility contributed to post-COVID cardiovascular events. They found no significant correlation. However, blood type appeared to influence outcomes. Individuals with non-O blood types (A, B, or AB) were identified as being at higher risk for cardiovascular diseases. Interestingly, those with O-type blood exhibited a lower risk of heart attacks or strokes post-hospitalization, although they remained at increased risk compared to non-COVID-19 patients.

The study also finds the risk was significantly higher for patient hospitalized for COVID-19 and more of a determinant for a major cardiac event than previous history of heart disease. pic.twitter.com/xMl2cC2Vqe

— ClevelandClinicNews (@CleClinicNews) October 9, 2024

The researchers theorize that genetic factors related to blood type may influence this increased cardiovascular risk, though the precise mechanisms are still uncertain.

On a more positive note, the study indicated that individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 who were also taking low-dose aspirin did not show an elevated risk for subsequent heart attacks or strokes, suggesting that certain preventative measures could mitigate risks, as per CNN.

Dr Hazen stressed the importance of assessing cardiovascular risk in patients with a history of COVID-19, emphasizing the need for vigilant management of blood pressure and cholesterol levels and the potential use of daily aspirin.

While the study did not examine the effects of COVID-19 vaccinations on cardiovascular risk, Hazen expressed optimism that vaccinations could provide protective benefits by preventing severe COVID-19 infections. The research also did not address whether recurrent COVID-19 infections might carry additional health risks, an area of concern highlighted by other studies.

In conclusion, individuals hospitalized for COVID-19—regardless of vaccination status—should remain vigilant regarding their cardiovascular health.