Story At A Glance:
- Many college bound students are getting vaccinated as the age requirements are lowered.
- Over 400 colleges and universities in the US are mandating vaccines for students.
- Some students are experiencing adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines.
- Reports of myocarditis and blood clots continue to rise in this population.
With the age requirements dropping for those eligible for the COVID-19 vaccines, there are some additional considerations that need to be looked at more closely. Teens and young adults are facing devastating effects of COVID-19 vaccine mandates by schools and sporting clubs.
How are Vaccine Mandates Impacting Colleges and University Students?
Many college and university students have an extra task to take care of before returning to school this fall. COVID-19 vaccinations are required at more than 400 colleges and universities across the United States. Whether these mandates hold up under legal scrutiny with EUA approval from the FDA remains to be determined. Some schools are awaiting the full approval before they mandate vaccines. Others are offering incentives to students who choose the vaccines on their own. Some states have gone as far as to make students who have received a COVID-19 vaccine eligible for full-ride scholarships.¹ Other states are choosing to ban proof of vaccination.¹ It seems there is a varied response to the idea of mandating vaccines on campuses.
These mandates are already yielding some heartbreaking consequences. Recently there have been reports of healthy, young people dying or suffering life-altering reactions after their vaccination. Unfortunately, for some, the whole story isn’t being told. Without full insight, agencies will not be able to assess the safety of these mandates nor the vaccines.
Reporting The Whole Story
19-year-old Simone Scott was a freshman at Northwestern University in Illinois where the vaccine will be mandated for students this fall. She felt ill after her first vaccination in April, but thought it may be allergies. She wasn’t feeling great, but wanted to stay on track with the vaccine doses. Scott received her second vaccination on May 1, 2021.
By May 16, 2021 after weeks of nosebleeds, dizziness, and irregular heartbeat, Simone was admitted to the hospital. The doctors told her that her heart was failing. She had a serious case of myocarditis, inflammation of the heart. Her condition deteriorated so quickly, it was determined on May 23, she needed a heart transplant which she received that same day. Just weeks after the transplant, Scott died. The school is reporting that Scott died due to a pneumonia-like infection following the transplant without mention of the myocarditis nor the vaccine.³ Northwestern Hospital has yet to report the myocarditis in relation to Scott’s vaccinations.⁴
21-year-old Justin Harrington was also diagnosed with myocarditis after his second vaccine. Harrington’s father has stated that his son was feeling pain with every heartbeat just 8-12 hours after the shot. On May 24, two days after Justin received the second shot, his father took him to the emergency room at Morristown Memorial Hospital because the symptoms had worsened.⁵ Harrington took the vaccination after his school, New Jersey Institute of Technology required it for him to attend classes this fall.⁵
There are hundreds of cases of myocarditis and pericarditis reported on the VAERS website. Doctors are reporting an uptick in the number of cases they would expect to see in this age population. Others are downplaying the numbers. However, the CDC is calling an emergency meeting regarding the 226 confirmed cases and investigating 250 more.⁶ So why are we putting a generally healthy age group at risk when they present such a low risk of severe cases of COVID-19?
College Bound Hopefuls Are Affected, Too.
Myocarditis isn’t the only concern. And neither is higher education. Recently, Cherie Romney was on several news programs sharing the story of her son’s experience following his COVID-19 vaccine. Everest was a healthy 17 year-old going into summer looking forward to competitive travel basketball camps. With rumors of camps requiring COVID-19 vaccination proof, his parents weighed the risks and benefits. Everest has been playing basketball from an early age and was getting ready for his junior year in high school. The year college and university scouts come out for prospects and new recruits. In preparation for some big opportunities, his family decided to go ahead and get vaccinated. They did everything they could to ensure they were healthy and ready for the vaccine including taking their temperature before heading off to the clinic.
Within days, Everest was suffering from excruciating inflammation in his neck and migraines. His mother, Cherie, was struggling to be heard by doctors to take the situation seriously as a vaccine reaction. Finally, they were granted the testing necessary. It was discovered that Everest had 3 blood clots floating in and around his brain. Valuable time had been lost, and Everest suffered unnecessarily as they waited for the tests. One of the tests Cherie pushed for was also a test to determine whether her son had previously had COVID-19. His results were positive.
Continued Hope and Determination in the Midst of Tragedy
Everest is recovering. However, with impaired vision and a lighter exertion level, his basketball practice has been affected. Even as he’s unable to see the hoop, Everest continues to shoot. Nobody can say for sure whether he’ll be ready for this year’s basketball season or not. Until then, Everest will continue to work toward fulfilling his childhood dreams to the best of his ability. It may not be at the same level he’s played 6-7 days a week for the last several years, but he’s committed to doing all he can.
Days after Everest’s hospital experience, Cherie took her husband to the hospital with numerous blood clots in his lungs.
Not only did this family go through such a traumatic experience, but in an interview, she relayed how she felt the media incorrectly portrayed her story. You can see that whole interview here.⁷
Hold the Phone – Doc’s Thoughts:
There have been studies recently that have pointed out that vaccinating those who have previously been infected with COVID-19 show no benefit.⁸ In fact, there are also studies being done that show that vaccinating people who have recovered actually poses a greater risk. That is why we don’t vaccinate people who’ve already had other viruses such as chicken pox, measles, or mumps. That would prove to be true in Everest’s case. With this population being one of the greatest in number that may have had an asymptomatic case, what dangers are we risking mandating these mass vaccinations without any sort of testing of the T-cells? Remember, we don’t want antibodies floating around in the body forever. The T-cells are the ones that will remember long term and launch the attack.
What can you do? Well, first of all, be sure to do your research. Where does your school stand on this issue? Check with your school or a third party website. Is this school your only option? While just over half of college-aged Americans were willing to get a COVID-19 vaccine in December, a recent poll found that 85% of prospective college students would attend a college that required inoculation.¹ The more people who take the vaccine in order to go to a school that requires it, the more schools will require it. There will be a bunch of good schools that still want to have students that aren’t vaccinated. You get to vote on this issue by where you choose to go. Speaking of voting, I’d suggest reaching out to your state elected and voice your concerns, as well.
For more information on myocarditis, read this article.
¹https://www.bestcolleges.com/blog/can-colleges-make-covid-19-vaccine-mandatory/
⁵https://appsradionews.com/2021/06/15/dad-says-life-not-the-same-for-21-year-old-student-who-developed-myocarditis-after-2nd-moderna-shot/
⁶https://www.aappublications.org/news/2021/06/10/covid-vaccine-myocarditis-rates-061021
⁷https://thehighwire.com/videos/father-son-suffer-severe-blood-clots-after-covid-vaccine/
⁸https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.06.01.21258176v2
