It started slowly at first – a trickle of concerning reports that something wasn’t right. In January 2021, just weeks after the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, cases of myocarditis began cropping up.
Myocarditis – inflammation of the heart muscle – had never been linked to vaccines before. So when 28 cases were reported to the US vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS) [1] that month, it raised eyebrows.
By February, the trickle had become a stream. VAERS received 64 more reports, including two deaths [2]. Then in March, Israel [3] and the military [4] started reporting cases too.
Something strange was going on. But the authorities ignored it.
In March, the FDA authorized the Johnson & Johnson vaccine without a whisper of myocarditis [5]. The CDC soon recommended it for all adults [6]. Colleges and businesses started mandating the shots [7]. It was full speed ahead.