⚡️ NIMITZ HEALTH NEWS FLASH ⚡️ 

“The Corruption of Science and Federal Health Agencies: How Health Officials Downplayed and Hid Myocarditis and Other Adverse Events Associated with the COVID-19 Vaccines”

Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations

May 21st, 2025 (recording linked here)

WITNESSES & TESTIMONIES

• The Honorable Josh Green, M.D.: Governor, State of Hawaii

• Peter McCullough, M.D.: President, McCullough Foundation

• Jordan Vaughn, M.D.: Founder & President, The Microvascular Research Foundation

• James Thorp, M.D.: Obstetrician & Gynecologist, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist

• Joel Wallskog, M.D.: Co-Chair, React 19

• Aaron Siri: Managing Partner, Siri & Glimstad, L.L.P.

HEARING HIGHLIGHTS

MEMBER OPENING STATEMENTS

• Chair Ron Johnson (R-WI) presented a detailed timeline starting with February 2021 Israeli reports to CDC about myocarditis and described internal CDC and FDA discussions that he claimed prioritized informing vaccine makers over the public. Johnson criticized the failure to issue a health alert and the editing of CDC guidance to remove warnings about physical activity for myocarditis patients. He concluded by asserting that the released documents show the Biden administration concealed known risks.

• Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) urged the committee to depoliticize science and focus on evidence, stressing that COVID-19 vaccines saved millions of lives and helped avoid over $1 trillion in healthcare costs. He recounted the chaos and death toll of early 2021 and emphasized that vaccines were a turning point in reducing mortality. He warned against misinformation that undermines public health, citing the resurgence of measles and accusing some witnesses of profiting from distrust and pseudoscience.

WITNESS OPENING STATEMENTS

• Dr. McCullough, a cardiologist, claimed to have reviewed over a thousand patients and numerous studies on COVID-19 vaccine myocarditis and stated the vaccines caused severe, sometimes fatal heart inflammation. He cited peer-reviewed cases of post-vaccine deaths confirmed by autopsy and called these events unequivocally linked to mRNA vaccines. McCullough explained that the spike protein used in the vaccines damages heart tissue and argued that the risks warrant halting their use. He concluded that continued vaccination would result in more deaths and called for urgent reevaluation of public health policy.

• Dr. Vaughn described treating over 4,000 patients with long COVID or vaccine injuries and linked their symptoms to the inflammatory effects of the spike protein produced by mRNA vaccines. He explained that this protein damages blood vessels and contributes to clotting and neurological issues, citing laboratory and clinical findings. Vaughn claimed that federal agencies ignored early safety signals of myocarditis and acted more as advocates than regulators. He concluded by calling for leadership that values patient experiences and real data over bureaucratic narratives.

• Dr. Thorp, a maternal-fetal specialist, accused the federal government of targeting pregnant women with a vaccine campaign he described as manipulative and unethical. He cited flawed CDC-backed studies that he claimed misrepresented miscarriage rates, and alleged conflicts of interest in leading medical journals. Thorp referenced recent peer-reviewed and animal studies showing harmful effects of the vaccines on pregnancy and fertility. He demanded an immediate halt to all vaccine promotion for pregnant women and condemned medical institutions for abandoning scientific integrity.

• Dr. Wallskog, a former orthopedic surgeon, said he became permanently disabled after receiving the Moderna vaccine and was diagnosed with neurological disorders. He stated that federal health agencies failed to support vaccine-injured individuals, and many found information only through peer support groups. Representing React19, he shared survey results showing widespread distrust and rejection by federal compensation programs. Wallskog called for urgent reform to safety monitoring and compensation systems, and an end to the political suppression of vaccine injury reports.

• Mr. Siri criticized the scientific basis of vaccine safety claims, calling many widely cited figures unverified or based on non-peer-reviewed models. He explained that vaccine manufacturers enjoy legal immunity from liability, resulting in minimal safety trials and weak post-market oversight. Siri described how federal agencies act in partnership with pharmaceutical companies, creating deep structural conflicts of interest. He urged the committee to reform the legal and regulatory framework that allows vaccines to be marketed with limited accountability.

• Governor Green shared his dual perspective as Hawaii’s COVID-19 response leader and emergency room physician, asserting that vaccines saved lives and prevented mass casualties in his state. He praised both the Trump and Biden administrations for their roles in vaccine deployment and recounted Hawaii’s science-driven response strategy. Green warned against politicizing vaccines, drawing on experiences from COVID and a measles outbreak in Samoa to illustrate the deadly consequences of vaccine skepticism. He emphasized the need for trust in science and collaboration to protect public health.

QUESTION AND ANSWER SUMMARY

• Chair Johnson questioned the claim that vaccines saved 10,000 lives in Hawaii and millions more globally, requested studies for the record, and argued that federal health agencies knowingly concealed myocarditis risks and misled the public on the COVID vaccine’s safety and bio-distribution. Dr. McCullough responded that mRNA vaccines persist in the body, causing spike protein circulation and toxicity, and asserted there is no randomized trial showing mortality reduction, crediting population immunity, early outpatient treatment, and viral mutation for declining deaths.

  Chair Johnson presented charts implying vaccines had no correlation with infection decline and questioned whether vaccines drove variant emergence, to which Dr. McCullough agreed that Delta was deadlier and more difficult to treat, even with early protocols.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal disputed claims of a cover-up, citing CDC emails showing proactive communication with providers about myocarditis risks, and warned against discrediting public health officials without evidence. Gov. Green emphasized the importance of federally funded research and maintained that vaccines mitigated COVID severity, citing clinical observations and stressing the dangers of curtailing public health infrastructure.

• Sen. Kim (D-NJ) asked how safety systems work in practice, especially for addressing adverse events. Gov. Green described Hawaii’s real-time public communication strategy during COVID and emphasized transparency, data-driven trust-building, and the need to honor all personal stories, including those of the vaccine-injured.

  Sen. Kim reflected on the need for trust, government capacity, and balanced transparency, expressing concern about polarization and future pandemic readiness. Gov. Green agreed and reiterated that his approach prioritized open data, empathy, and protecting vulnerable populations while avoiding partisanship.

• Sen. Moreno (R-OH) asked whether dissenting voices were suppressed during the pandemic, to which Dr. McCullough said prior testimony was ignored and censored by platforms like YouTube and resistant institutions.

  Sen. Moreno also questioned Hawaii’s COVID-era school closures and mandates; Gov. Green defended early actions as precautionary, citing limited data and high risk, and clarified he was not governor at the time. He emphasized early transmission concerns and local authority in decision-making.

• Chair Johnson highlighted concerns about remdesivir and autopsy data. Dr. McCullough noted a dramatic increase in clot cases post-vaccination, blaming spike protein toxicity. Dr. Vaughn added that nucleoproteins—not spike proteins—should have been the vaccine target and criticized failure to pivot despite 2021 research.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal acknowledged pediatric COVID deaths and trauma, citing CDC communication breakdowns due to budget cuts, then asked about vaccine misinformation parallels between COVID and the 2019 Samoa measles outbreak. Gov. Green said the Samoa outbreak stemmed from vaccine hesitancy following a tragic clinical error, and warned that low vaccination rates now threaten U.S. herd immunity, linking past and current disinformation campaigns.

• Chair Johnson reiterated the need for source citations and asked for an explanation on distorted CDC pregnancy safety data. Dr. Thorpe alleged that CDC-affiliated authors manipulated miscarriage data by including third-trimester vaccinations in early pregnancy outcomes to lower miscarriage rates, calling it intentional data distortion. Gov. Green responded that miscarriage rates are complex and commonly range above 20%, deferring to OB-GYN organizations that recommend vaccination during pregnancy.

  Chair Johnson described agency obstruction, including lawsuits needed to obtain V-safe data, and asked for a summarization of the findings. Mr. Siri said V-safe data revealed 7.7% of recipients needed medical care post-vaccination, many hospitalized, and criticized CDC for excluding adverse symptoms from the survey’s check-box list. Gov. Green defended the value of VAERS for open reporting but emphasized it does not prove causation, calling for scientific scrutiny over anecdotal interpretation.

  Chair Johnson accused agencies of vilifying dissenters and degrading scientific integrity, stating trust was lost due to federal censorship and media bias. Dr. Wallskog added that Facebook shut down vaccine injury support groups after a Senate event, contributing to suicides among isolated patients.

• Ranking Member Blumenthal asked whether placebo-controlled trials for established vaccines would be ethical. Gov. Green strongly opposed the idea, calling it unethical to risk unvaccinated control groups when protection is proven.

  Ranking Member Blumenthal then questioned about financial interests in supplement sales through the Wellness Company. Dr. McCullough disclosed a set salary and small equity stake, saying he does not receive profit shares, and that the company’s mission is recovery and care. He also stated he resigned from the AMA due to disagreements over the label "misinformation," and now holds certification through an alternative board.

• Chair Johnson said such credential targeting reflects vilification of alternative medical views and asked for clarification on vaccine trial design history. Mr. Siri confirmed that most childhood vaccines were not tested against inert placebos and said the current chronic disease crisis among children justifies reviewing cumulative vaccine impacts.

  Chair Johnson asked for final thoughts from all the witnesses. Dr. McCullough cited multiple studies concluding the vaccine’s harms outweigh any theoretical benefits and denied that mortality reduction was vaccine-driven. Dr. Vaughn urged a return to compassionate, curious medicine, noting the overlap between long COVID and post-vaccine injury symptoms in his patients. Dr. Thorpe shared that he was fired after presenting peer-reviewed findings on vaccine-related pregnancy risks. Dr. Wallskog estimated over 900,000 serious COVID vaccine-related injuries in the U.S. based on global data and called for acknowledgment and compensation. Mr. Siri challenged the CDC’s continued immunity shield and called for gold-standard trials and full disclosure to rebuild public trust. Gov. Green closed by defending Hawaii’s pandemic response, warning that undermining vaccination programs could have catastrophic consequences, and urged testifiers to disclose their own conflicts of interest before casting doubt on others.