Lauren Boebert is claiming to be in a high risk group — the unvaccinated!
There were people and media outlets — right-wing of course — claiming that Lauren Boebert’s recent blood clot,[1] was caused by the covid vaccine. The reality is that blood clots were only found to be an adverse effect associated with the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson covid vaccines, and the risk of blood clots with a covid infection is much higher than with even those vaccines. There is no evidence that the mRNA covid vaccines have that risk.[2] I don’t know if Lauren Boebert ever disclosed her vaccination status prior, but she later came right out and declared that she’s not vaccinated for covid on a radio interview, which was then reported in the The Colorado Times Recorder.[3]
This also means that Lauren Boebert would be in the group that has “Underlying Medical Conditions Associated with Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19” which includes just being unvaccinated at any age and “not being up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations”[4], and someone unvaccinated is also at higher risk for covid complications like heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular events.[5] Heart related covid complications from infection have been reported since the get-go in 2020, before the vaccines, and the evidence just keeps piling on that infections come with cardiac risk.[6]
It’s unfortunate that in setting the record straight on Lauren Boebert’s vaccine status, The Colorado Times Recorder subsequently gets the spring 2024 vaccine recommendations muffed and confused. The truth is, people are still recommended to be up-to-date on covid vaccination with the most recent vaccines that came out in late 2023,[7] and anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated in over a year, (or at all), should be getting that shot. It’s also recommended that people 65 and up get an additional springtime dose of the 2023 formula if they’re more than 4 months out from their last one.[8] The Colorado Times Recorder reporter said it in a way that makes it sound like only senior citizens need to be vaccinated now, and that’s simply not accurate. At the CDC ACIP meeting September 12, 2023, they repeatedly said that “There is no group that clearly has no risk from COVID.”[9]
References:
[1] WSOC-TV 9 — Rep. Lauren Boebert undergoes surgery for blood clot in leg — By Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk April 03, 2024 at 10:52 am EDT “Patients with May-Thurner Syndrome who undergo the procedure to restore blood flow are able to live and work just as they have in the past after a brief recovery.” May-Thurner Syndrome is a fairly common condition that affects blood flow and can cause clots in the legs, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It occurs in about one in five people, but often goes undiagnosed, as most people don’t experience symptoms unless they develop blood clots.
[2] Nebraska Medicine — Advancing Health — You asked, we answered: Do the COVID-19 vaccines cause blood clots or heart problems? Multiple studies and data from vaccine safety monitoring systems show the COVID-19 vaccines are as safe as other routine vaccines. As with any vaccine, rare adverse events have been reported after COVID-19 vaccination. For example, some people who received the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines reported blood clots.
[3] The Colorado Times Recorder — ‘I’m Not COVID Vaxxed:’ Boebert Denies ‘Rumors’ That Vaccination Caused Her Blood Clot and Hospitalization by Jason Salzman — posted on April 17, 2024 “That’s what everybody’s asking me,” radio host Jay Dee told Boebert on air. “… Did she get the shot? And is that why this happened last week?” “And, so, for the listeners out there, if you didn’t catch it, Lauren Boebert is not, is not, COVID vaxxed. So stop asking me about that,” said Dee. “That is correct,” Boebert replied.
[4] CDC — COVID-19 — Underlying Medical Conditions Associated with Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19: Information for Healthcare Professionals — Updated Apr. 12, 2024 Age is the strongest risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes. Patients with one or multiple of certain underlying medical conditions are also at higher risk.(1–3) Additionally, being unvaccinated or not being up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations also increases the risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. Providers should consider the patient’s age, presence of underlying medical conditions and other risk factors, and vaccination status in determining the risk of severe COVID-19-associated outcomes for any patient.
[5] What people with heart disease should know about vaccines today By Michael Merschel, American Heart Association News Published: October 6, 2023 A research letter published in February in JACC found that among more than 1.9 million people infected with the coronavirus, vaccination was associated with a lower risk of heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular events. Flu vaccination, meanwhile, is associated with a lower risk of stroke. In an analysis published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2021, flu vaccination also was associated with an 18% lower chance of death from cardiovascular problems and a 25% lower chance of death from any cause.
[7] The Updated COVID Vaccines Are Here: 9 Things to Know BY KATHY KATELLA [Originally published: Oct. 2, 2023. Updated: April 19, 2024.] The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved the updated vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna for everyone 6 months and older, and authorized an updated Novavax vaccine for those 12 and older in the fall of 2023.
[8] CDC recommends seniors get another Covid-19 shot Jen Christensen By Jen Christensen, CNN Updated 5:17 PM EST, Wed February 28, 2024 People age 65 and older should get an additional dose of the current Covid-19 vaccine, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. The agency’s independent vaccine advisers voted Wednesday to recommend the additional shot, and CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen endorsed the recommendation. The vote of CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was 11 yes and one no, with one person abstaining. Under the new recommendation, people 65 and older can receive an additional dose of any updated Covid-19 vaccine at least four months after the previous shot. The current Covid-19 vaccine, which was updated last fall, is considered highly effective. Early estimates from CDC studies show that although there has been no substantial waning yet, protection will wane over time. However, the protection offered by any vaccine disappears even quicker in older people because their immune systems don’t respond as well.
[9] CDC ACIP meeting September 12, 2023 “The workgroup considered nonuniversal policy options, with considerable discussion around the magnitude of benefits in the young, healthy population. As part of these deliberations, the workgroup requested additional data on severe illness due to COVID-19 in those with and without underlying conditions. There was no group that clearly had no risk of severe illness. Additionally, the vast majority of the US population had an underlying condition that would qualify under a risk-based recommendation.”