(The Epoch Times)—U.S. drug regulators influenced the decision not to send an alert on heart inflammation cases that were appearing after COVID-19 vaccination, according to emails obtained through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was preparing to issue an alert about postvaccination myocarditis, or heart inflammation, through its Health Alert Network in May 2021. But that plan changed after meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to the emails.
“The initial draft is with Rochelle now,” Sherri Berger, a top CDC official, wrote in an email on May 26, 2021. Dr. Rochelle Walensky was the CDC’s director at the time.
Hours later, a CDC spokesperson, Abbigail Tumpey, informed colleagues and officials with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that “we are still discussing the strategy on this topic.”
“However, after discussions internally and with FDA, we will likely [redacted],” she wrote. “Our team is on a call with FDA now. I will share the messaging shortly.”
Ms. Tumpey later emailed to say that the CDC had opted to issue a document called clinical considerations rather than an alert.
The CDC issued the online considerations on May 28, 2021. They stated that “increased cases of myocarditis and pericarditis have been reported in the United States after mRNA COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna)” but that every person aged 12 years and up should still get vaccinated.
Ms. Berger and Ms. Tumpey, both of whom have since left the CDC, did not respond to requests for comment.
The FDA did not deny influencing the decision not to send the alert.
“The FDA continues to work collaboratively with the CDC to monitor for known safety risks related to vaccines and determine how best to ensure any relevant safety information is conveyed to the public, health care providers and clinicians,” a spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email. “After thorough assessment and when the potential risk was clear, the FDA updated the fact sheets for the COVID-19 vaccines and communicated with the public in a manner that was determined to be appropriate for the assessed risk.”
The FDA, which authorized the Pfizer and Moderna shots, did not add warnings about myocarditis until June 25, 2021.
A CDC spokesperson declined to say why the CDC decided not to send an alert. The spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email that the same audience of healthcare providers received the considerations but did not supply any evidence supporting that claim.
Documents previously acquired by The Epoch Times showed that the CDC and FDA were aware of post-vaccination myocarditis cases by February 2021, including a “large number” of patients in Israel and cases among the U.S. military.
The emails about the CDC-FDA call were obtained by The Daily Clout through a FOIA request. The CDC alert was planned to be targeted at emergency departments “rather than a broad advisory,” another email showed.
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Prepared to Review
Other emails from the same tranche showed that two top officials in President Joe Biden’s administration asked, and were going to be able to, review the warning before it was sent out.
Dr. Rachel Levine, the administration’s assistant secretary for health, and Dawn O’Connell, the administration’s assistant secretary for preparedness and response, were going to be sent a draft of the alert after Dr. Walensky reviewed it, according to the emails.
“Dawn and Sarah need an early heads up and to see the language before hand,” Ms. Berger wrote in one missive, referring to Ms. O’Connell and Sarah Boateng, another official with the Department of Health and Human Services.
“I would also very much appreciate the opportunity to see the HAN before it is final,” Dr. Levine wrote.
“Initial draft with Walensky now. Flagging that you’d like to review as well,” Ms. Berger replied.
Dr. Levine was also in touch separately with Dr. Walensky on myocarditis, promoting claims that the heart inflammation might be unrelated to the vaccines.
“Myocarditis with COVID-19 is uncommon and even more uncommon with the vaccines- if it is associated at all with the vaccines,” Dr. Levine wrote after meeting with doctors from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Still, the AAP experts conveyed that “significant risks that can be associated with adolescent myocarditis” and that youth with the heart inflammation should be placed under exercise limitations for at least three months, according to the emails.
The AAP put out guidance around the same time that encouraged people to get vaccinated despite the apparent risk of heart inflammation. It has since deleted that guidance but still maintains a similar position.
In another call with the AAP, experts shared that “the cases are infrequent and mild and seem to resolve without treatment,” Dr. Levine wrote. In reality, a number of the cases do not resolve for months, if at all.
“Wow, thank you so much for this super helpful engagement,” Dr. Walensky said in a reply. The CDC planned to meet with the AAP on the matter, according to the emails.
Dr. Levine was later invited as a panelist for a call with public health partners to discuss the myocarditis cases, other missives showed.
Dr. Levine and the AAP did not respond to requests. A spokesperson for Ms. O’Connell declined to comment.
Five Things New “Preppers” Forget When Getting Ready for Bad Times Ahead
The preparedness community is growing faster than it has in decades. Even during peak times such as Y2K, the economic downturn of 2008, and Covid, the vast majority of Americans made sure they had plenty of toilet paper but didn’t really stockpile anything else.
Things have changed. There’s a growing anxiety in this presidential election year that has prompted more Americans to get prepared for crazy events in the future. Some of it is being driven by fearmongers, but there are valid concerns with the economy, food supply, pharmaceuticals, the energy grid, and mass rioting that have pushed average Americans into “prepper” mode.
There are degrees of preparedness. One does not have to be a full-blown “doomsday prepper” living off-grid in a secure Montana bunker in order to be ahead of the curve. In many ways, preparedness isn’t about being able to perfectly handle every conceivable situation. It’s about being less dependent on government for as long as possible. Those who have proper “preps” will not be waiting for FEMA to distribute emergency supplies to the desperate masses.
Below are five things people new to preparedness (and sometimes even those with experience) often forget as they get ready. All five are common sense notions that do not rely on doomsday in order to be useful. It may be nice to own a tank during the apocalypse but there’s not much you can do with it until things get really crazy. The recommendations below can have places in the lives of average Americans whether doomsday comes or not.
Note: The information provided by this publication or any related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. We do not provide personalized investment, financial, or legal advice.
Secured Wealth
Whether in the bank or held in a retirement account, most Americans feel that their life’s savings is relatively secure. At least they did until the last couple of years when de-banking, geopolitical turmoil, and the threat of Central Bank Digital Currencies reared their ugly heads.
It behooves Americans to diversify their holdings. If there’s a triggering event or series of events that cripple the financial systems or devalue the U.S. Dollar, wealth can evaporate quickly. To hedge against potential turmoil, many Americans are looking in two directions: Crypto and physical precious metals.
There are huge advantages to cryptocurrencies, but there are also inherent risks because “virtual” money can become challenging to spend. Add in the push by central banks and governments to regulate or even replace cryptocurrencies with their own versions they control and the risks amplify. There’s nothing wrong with cryptocurrencies today but things can change rapidly.
As for physical precious metals, many Americans pay cash to keep plenty on hand in their safe. Rolling over or transferring retirement accounts into self-directed IRAs is also a popular option, but there are caveats. It can often take weeks or even months to get the gold and silver shipped if the owner chooses to close their account. This is why Genesis Gold Group stands out. Their relationship with the depositories allows for rapid closure and shipping, often in less than 10 days from the time the account holder makes their move. This can come in handy if things appear to be heading south.
Lots of Potable Water
One of the biggest shocks that hit new preppers is understanding how much potable water they need in order to survive. Experts claim one gallon of water per person per day is necessary. Even the most conservative estimates put it at over half-a-gallon. That means that for a family of four, they’ll need around 120 gallons of water to survive for a month if the taps turn off and the stores empty out.
Being near a fresh water source, whether it’s a river, lake, or well, is a best practice among experienced preppers. It’s necessary to have a water filter as well, even if the taps are still working. Many refuse to drink tap water even when there is no emergency. Berkey was our previous favorite but they’re under attack from regulators so the Alexapure systems are solid replacements.
For those in the city or away from fresh water sources, storage is the best option. This can be challenging because proper water storage containers take up a lot of room and are difficult to move if the need arises. For “bug in” situations, having a larger container that stores hundreds or even thousands of gallons is better than stacking 1-5 gallon containers. Unfortunately, they won’t be easily transportable and they can cost a lot to install.
Water is critical. If chaos erupts and water infrastructure is compromised, having a large backup supply can be lifesaving.
Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies
There are multiple threats specific to the medical supply chain. With Chinese and Indian imports accounting for over 90% of pharmaceutical ingredients in the United States, deteriorating relations could make it impossible to get the medicines and antibiotics many of us need.
Stocking up many prescription medications can be hard. Doctors generally do not like to prescribe large batches of drugs even if they are shelf-stable for extended periods of time. It is a best practice to ask your doctor if they can prescribe a larger amount. Today, some are sympathetic to concerns about pharmacies running out or becoming inaccessible. Tell them your concerns. It’s worth a shot. The worst they can do is say no.
If your doctor is unwilling to help you stock up on medicines, then Jase Medical is a good alternative. Through telehealth, they can prescribe daily meds or antibiotics that are shipped to your door. As proponents of medical freedom, they empathize with those who want to have enough medical supplies on hand in case things go wrong.
Energy Sources
The vast majority of Americans are locked into the grid. This has proven to be a massive liability when the grid goes down. Unfortunately, there are no inexpensive remedies.
Those living off-grid had to either spend a lot of money or effort (or both) to get their alternative energy sources like solar set up. For those who do not want to go so far, it’s still a best practice to have backup power sources. Diesel generators and portable solar panels are the two most popular, and while they’re not inexpensive they are not out of reach of most Americans who are concerned about being without power for extended periods of time.
Natural gas is another necessity for many, but that’s far more challenging to replace. Having alternatives for heating and cooking that can be powered if gas and electric grids go down is important. Have a backup for items that require power such as manual can openers. If you’re stuck eating canned foods for a while and all you have is an electric opener, you’ll have problems.
Don’t Forget the Protein
When most think about “prepping,” they think about their food supply. More Americans are turning to gardening and homesteading as ways to produce their own food. Others are working with local farmers and ranchers to purchase directly from the sources. This is a good idea whether doomsday comes or not, but it’s particularly important if the food supply chain is broken.
Most grocery stores have about one to two weeks worth of food, as do most American households. Grocers rely heavily on truckers to receive their ongoing shipments. In a crisis, the current process can fail. It behooves Americans for multiple reasons to localize their food purchases as much as possible.
Long-term storage is another popular option. Canned foods, MREs, and freeze dried meals are selling out quickly even as prices rise. But one component that is conspicuously absent in shelf-stable food is high-quality protein. Most survival food companies offer low quality “protein buckets” or cans of meat, but they are often barely edible.
Prepper All-Naturals offers premium cuts of steak that have been cooked sous vide and freeze dried to give them a 25-year shelf life. They offer Ribeye, NY Strip, and Tenderloin among others.
Having buckets of beans and rice is a good start, but keeping a solid supply of high-quality protein isn’t just healthier. It can help a family maintain normalcy through crises.
Prepare Without Fear
With all the challenges we face as Americans today, it can be emotionally draining. Citizens are scared and there’s nothing irrational about their concerns. Being prepared and making lifestyle changes to secure necessities can go a long way toward overcoming the fears that plague us. We should hope and pray for the best but prepare for the worst. And if the worst does come, then knowing we did what we could to be ready for it will help us face those challenges with confidence.
