Do facts matter anymore? Does the truth? Or has society become so ingrained in believing rumors and conspiracies that echo chambers and partisan allegiances are prioritized over reality? These are some of the questions we must seriously ask ourselves after claims that the COVID-19 vaccine was to blame for Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin’s collapse during a game Monday night.
The truth is that there is not any evidence to suggest Hamlin’s collapse had any connection to COVID-19 vaccines — despite many who, disturbingly and inexplicably, want this not to be true. After Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins caught a pass, he collided with Hamlin, lowered his helmet, and threw his body into Hamlin’s chest. This collision caused Hamlin’s collapse, not any lingering effects from the COVID-19 vaccine.
COMMOTIO CORDIS: THE CONDITION THAT COULD EXPLAIN DAMAR HAMLIN’S SHOCK COLLAPSE
Unfortunately, advancing this baseless claim is nothing new. Many made similar claims about Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman J.J. Watt when he suffered atrial fibrillation in 2022. Soccer player Christian Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest and collapsed on the pitch during Denmark’s Euro 2020 match against Finland. At the time, many stories circulated that Eriksen had just received the Pfizer vaccine, which caused his collapse. Of course, none of this was true. Eriksen was not even vaccinated then. It was just people spreading lies to advance a narrative and agenda.
Consider that nearly every athlete in the country’s professional sports leagues has been vaccinated. None of them have suffered myocarditis as a side effect. People have yet to learn precisely why Hamlin collapsed. However, the collision unquestionably caused it. Anyone claiming or implying otherwise is intellectually disingenuous and promoting radical, nonsensical, and unproven conspiracy theories.
Yet, looking at hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of comments on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms shows these baseless conspiracy theories are dominating conversations. It’s morally wrong, and quite frankly, promoting such ideas after this tragic sporting accident is appalling and disgusting.
Furthermore, despite many claims to the contrary, there is no evidence that vaccines “are linked to an increase in sportspeople collapsing or dying due to heart issues.” People advancing such claims are not being honest.
If someone is against the vaccines, that is their prerogative. And given that vaccines do not prevent the spread of COVID-19, as originally claimed, getting vaccinated should be a personal decision. However, those against vaccinations should stick to the facts to attempt to persuade people. Advancing baseless stories, conspiracy theories, and outright lies contribute to chaos and endanger people.
And if COVID-19 vaccines cause some health problems, incorrectly insinuating or blaming them for incidents like Hamlin do nothing but diminish anything that could be true. Studies show that the much-ballyhooed myocarditis is an extremely rare side effect of the COVID-19 vaccine.
This has been verified in multiple studies, including this one by McGill University. Numerous physicians have also stated it, including Dr. Jonathan Kim, an associate professor of medicine and sports cardiologist at Emory University. Kim is also the team cardiologist for MLB’s Atlanta Braves, NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, and the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. Kim stated that heart problems such as myocarditis from COVID-19 vaccines “are rare.”
“Data from large registries of collegiate and professional athletes indicate that the prevalence of cardiac injury after COVID-19 is 0.6% among this group, or around one in 200,” Emory University claimed. “Data have also shown that those at most risk for vaccine-related myocarditis are adolescent and young adult males. Some studies suggest the prevalence of myocarditis among this group is around 40 cases per million.”
“That’s about one in 20,000 to one in 25,000 individuals that may have vaccine-related myocarditis, and we know that these are primarily milder cases of myocarditis,” Kim said. “If you compare that one-in-200 risk from having COVID myocarditis versus a one-in-20,000 to one-in-25,000 risk, specifically in this target epidemiologic range, it’s not even really comparable.”
If vaccines are as bad as the anti-vaxxers want people to believe and are as dangerous as they claim, there shouldn’t be any reason to lie or misrepresent information. They should have solid facts that support their arguments. They don’t, and that is why they participate in such nonsensical fearmongering conspiracies simply because they want there to be side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine.
