A Host Of Notable COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Events, Backed By Evidence
Authored by Marina Zhang via The Epoch Times
Some adverse events are widely acknowledged, like blood clots and myocarditis. Others are less publicly discussed but are still present in the research literature.
The Epoch Times reviewed the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), the United Kingdom’s Yellow Card Reporting System, South Africa’s VAERS database, and numerous peer-reviewed studies, selecting the top reported adverse events with literature support. Their severity determines the order of the events.
It is worth noting that VAERS is a passive reporting system that relies on people to send in reports of their experiences. It may not determine causality but “is especially useful for detecting unusual or unexpected patterns” that might indicate a possible vaccine safety signal, according to the official website.
Some of the adverse events have been previously reported by sources. These are supplied with links to past articles with more information.
What Causes COVID-19 Vaccine Adverse Reactions?
Clinicians treating persistent vaccine adverse reactions believe that the leading cause of such injuries is the COVID-19 spike protein.
Spike proteins exist on the surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that invade cells and cause disease. The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines also induce the body to make spike proteins. The cells that are exposed to the mRNA produce spike proteins and then display these proteins on their surfaces. The immune system then attacks these spike proteins, thereby forming an immunity against them. The cells may also be destroyed.
Other types of COVID-19 vaccines use similar tactics.
However, the spike protein is highly inflammatory and toxic, and clinicians have observed that although people generate antibodies after vaccination, some start suffering from a wide variety of unexplainable symptoms.
Clinicians have put forward six pathways through which the spike protein can cause damage:
- Immune dysregulation
- Blood clotting and vascular damage
- Mitochondrial dysfunction
- Mast cell activation syndrome
- Autoimmune reactions
- Tissue damage through spike persistence
The lipid nanoparticles in the mRNA vaccines may also contribute to reported adverse events. Studies show that lipid nanoparticles activate inflammatory chemicals and affect immune activity.
COVID-19 Vaccine General Adverse Events
The most common COVID-19 vaccine adverse events are those that affect the body generally.
- Chest pain may be a sign of myocarditis, but it can also be due to inflamed rib joints, lung inflammation, or neuropathy in the chest—all of which will be explained later in the article.
- Fatigue after vaccination is mostly transient. However, some people may experience persistent and debilitating fatigue, where even taking showers or doing a basic chore leaves them exhausted for the remainder of the day. Around 8 percent to 80 percent of vaccinated individuals report fatigue as a side effect, with most cases being mild. However, for some people, fatigue may never seem to get better. A study that followed 498 vaccinated physicians and dentists showed that around 6 percent reported long-term fatigue post-vaccination. One possible reason for the fatigue is mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are the body’s cellular powerhouse, present in most cells and responsible for producing energy for the body.
- Fever and chills may manifest due to the body’s immune system fighting off the vaccine and are usually transient.
- Swelling and pain at the injection site is usually transient. Pain can also happen throughout the body.
- Armpit pain may indicate that the body’s immunity is fighting off infections. The armpit area houses a cluster of lymph nodes that contain immune cells. These lymph nodes can become swollen after infection and vaccination, leading to pain in the underarm area.
Nervous System Disorders
Nervous system disorders are some of the most common adverse events reported. In the Pfizer trials, these disorders were the third most common, coming after general and muscle-related adverse events, while they were the second most common in the Moderna trials.
Animal and model studies have shown that spike proteins can cross the blood-brain barrier. A 2023 preprint study found spike proteins in the brain tissues of deceased COVID-19 patients. The histological brain examinations of the late German pathologist Dr. Arne Burkhardt showed that spike proteins damage blood vessels in the brain.
Spike proteins share structural similarities with proteins present in the human nervous system, and when our bodies attack the spike protein, collateral damage to the nerves may also occur. mRNA vaccines also contain a prion region and have been shown to accelerate the formation of misfolded proteins, which are potentially linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
