It may be 2023, more than three years after the pandemic began, but COVID restrictions remain a mandatory part of life for many.
Some schools, employers, and government entities are forcing students, workers, and the public to comply with COVID measures in a familiar echo of last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.
The city of San Francisco is still <a href="https://sf.gov/information/know-when-masks-are-needed#:~:text=There%20are%20no%20longer%20masking,or%20people%20living%20in%20jails." target="_blank" rel="noopener">requiring</a> people who work in health care or at jails to wear a face mask.
Even in deep-red Alabama, three court buildings in Dallas County have <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mask-mandate-update-alabama-dallas-county-restrictions-1825563" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resurrected</a> their mask mandate for the public after several cases of the virus cropped up in the buildings.
In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis (R) <a href="https://apnews.com/article/ron-desantis-vaccines-ladapo-florida-d40276077f5fb6de98c2087172b423dc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> the idea of going back to COVID restrictions and promised Florida will not do so.
Vermont is pushing back as well. The state will no longer allow school nurses to test students for COVID, according to the Vermont Department of Health, <a href="https://vtdigger.org/2023/09/06/absent-in-vermont-schools-this-fall-student-covid-19-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signaling</a> that they are viewing the virus as more like a seasonal flu.
The return of COVID restrictions comes amid an uptick of virus cases and hospitalizations as we head into the colder months, but the outbreaks appear to be concentrated in hotspots and are well below the peaks we saw at the height of the pandemic.
With the school year kicking off and students returning to classrooms and campuses, several schools are giving students deja vu with their own mandatory — and strict — pandemic rules.
This week, a Maryland elementary school reinstated its face mask mandate after several students tested positive for COVID.
Rosemary Hills Elementary School just north of Washington, D.C., is <a href="https://www.wbal.com/article/616010/2/mask-mandate-returns-for-one-class-in-montgomery-county-elementary-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requiring</a> the third-grade class and school staff to wear masks for 10 days after “three or more” third graders tested positive for the virus.
The young students must wear masks “except when eating or drinking,” and the school is providing KN95 masks to students and staff in the “identified classes or activities.” Parents will also be sent at-home rapid COVID tests, and Rosemary Hills is <a href="https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2023/09/1-class-required-to-wear-masks-after-covid-outbreak-in-montgomery-co-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asking</a> them to report any positive test results to the school attendance office.
In Alabama, Kinterbish Junior High <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/mask-mandate-update-full-list-schools-restrictions-1825285" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> an indefinite mask mandate last month, and students appeared to still be wearing masks last week based on Facebook photos.
In Georgia, Morris Brown College, a private, historically black liberal arts school in Atlanta <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/maryland-elementary-school-forces-kids-to-mask-up-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> a two-week mask mandate last month.
There were no active COVID cases on campus, but several students at the other three colleges in the Atlanta University Center system had tested positive after students returned to campus.
Morris Brown students were required to practice social distancing and were prohibited from having parties or large gatherings. They were also required to get their temperature checked when they arrived on campus, comply with contact tracing efforts, and isolate for at least five days if they tested positive.
Dillard University, another private, historically black university in New Orleans announced a two-week mask mandate last month, citing a jump in virus cases.
Meanwhile, two California high schools canceled their upcoming football games over COVID cases among students.
Esparto High School west of Sacramento canceled its game after six players contracted the virus and seven more players were out due to injuries. Likewise, Santa Paula High School north of Los Angeles canceled its football game due to 20 positive COVID cases within the football and cheerleading teams.
Some parents were frustrated that their kids will miss out after months of lockdowns.
“She couldn’t go to the movies. Couldn’t do nothing; locked down with a Chromebook,” a Santa Paula parent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/covid-cancellations-return-two-california-high-schools-cancel-football-games" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> a local outlet. “It was horrible. Totally affected her life.”
A major Hollywood movie studio brought back its mask mandate last month as well. Lionsgate, reinstated its mask mandate for most of its Santa Monica office employees after several employees tested positive for COVID. Lionsgate said it would also do contact tracing and give out free COVID test kits, and the studio also asked employees to self-screen for COVID before coming to work.
Late last month, though, Lionsgate <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/08/lionsgate-mask-mandate-lifted-covid-outbreak-1235528599/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> it would lift its mask mandate again.
Hospitals are bringing back their mask mandates as well. In California, Kaiser Permanente <a href="https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/kaiser-permanente-reinstates-covid-19-mask-mandate-amid-spike-in-cases-but/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imposed</a> a mask mandate at its hospitals and medical offices in Santa Rosa for not only doctors and patients but also visitors.
In New York, a group of hospitals have brought back mask mandates as well, <a class="color-link" title="https://www.fox4news.com/news/citing-rising-covid-cases-these-us-hospital-systems-have-now-reinstated-mask-mandates" href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/citing-rising-covid-cases-these-us-hospital-systems-have-now-reinstated-mask-mandates" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" data-ga-track="ExternalLink:https://www.fox4news.com/news/citing-rising-covid-cases-these-us-hospital-systems-have-now-reinstated-mask-mandates" aria-label="including">including</a> United Health Services, Auburn Community Hospital, and University Hospital in Syracuse.
Most of the new mask mandates do not specify whether certain kinds of face masks are unacceptable. As long ago as 2021, CNN’s medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/cloth-masks-useless-omicron-expert-b1980394.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> cloth face masks were &#8220;little more than facial decorations,&#8221; and urged people to wear &#8220;at least a three-ply surgical mask.&#8221;
The current COVID variant, which is descended from Omicron, has been spreading for months, and experts have said it is not any more dangerous than previous variants.
Even so, the White House is putting out warnings about COVID as fall approaches.
Biden has not tried to get Americans to return to face mask mandates broadly, but his administration is still strongly pushing the COVID vaccine.
The Biden administration recently <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/flu-covid-rsv-vaccines.html">recommended</a> that many people get not only a COVID booster shot, but also a flu shot and a shot for RSV, a respiratory virus that can be dangerous for infants and elderly adults.
One doctor who is an advisor to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/flu-covid-rsv-vaccines.html">compared</a> an annual COVID booster to “a seatbelt in a car,” saying it is good to keep using it.
Former president Donald Trump slammed the return of COVID restrictions late last month.
The 2024 Republican frontrunner <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-blasts-mask-mandates-covid-1823697" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promised</a> that if re-elected, he would &#8220;use every available authority to cut federal funding to any school, college, airline or public transportation system that imposes a mask mandate or a vaccine mandate.&#8221;
Even during the height of the pandemic, policies like mask mandates, lockdowns, and vaccine mandates faced spirited opposition.
Now that the pandemic is three years old, it&#8217;s doubtful Americans have any appetite left for more restrictions.
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US-HEALTH-VIRUS

It’s 2023, But COVID Restrictions Are Not A Thing Of The Past

It's 2023, But COVID Restrictions Are Not A Thing Of The Past

COVID

COVID-19 Vaccine

Mask Mandate

Pandemic

Readers Pass

Vaccine Mandate

Tennis great <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-stays-with-you-novak-djokovic-back-in-australia-after-dramatic-detention-deportation-over-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Novak Djokovic</a> made history on Sunday when he defeated Daniil Medvedev in three sets to win the U.S. Open, scoring him his 24th major championship, tying the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles.
Djokovic, who has refused to take the COVID vaccine, was notably banned from entering the U.S. last year due to a Biden administration vaccine rule, keeping the athlete from competing in the U.S. Open last year.
&#8220;To make history [in] this sport is just something truly remarkable and special, obviously, in every possible way, in every possible meaning of the word,&#8221; Djokovic said after winning the Open, <a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/38373910/novak-djokovic-beats-daniil-medvedev-win-2023-us-open-24th-major-title" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to ESPN. &#8220;It&#8217;s hard to describe the words.&#8221;
&#8220;I never imagined that I would be here standing with you talking about 24 Slams,&#8221; the 36-year-old continued. &#8220;I never thought that would be the reality. But the last couple of years, I felt I have a chance, I have a shot for history, and why not grab it if it&#8217;s presented?&#8221;
Djokovic, who said he had already contracted and recovered from the virus, has chosen not to get <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vaccinated</a> against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID</a>. This led to the dramatic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/novak-djokovic-loses-visa-appeal-deported-from-australia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detainment and deportation</a> of the tennis star from Australia, rendering him unable to defend his Australian Open title in 2021. Later, he was banned from New York for the 2022 U.S. Open, similarly over his vaccination status.
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“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for [the] US Open,” he said at the time on social media. “Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support. Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world!”
Djokovic spoke about what happened to him about a year after the Australia incident. “Obviously what happened 12 months ago was not easy for me, for my family, team, anybody who is close to me,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It’s obviously disappointing to leave the country like that.”
“You can’t forget those events,” Djokovic continued. “It’s one of these things that stays with you for I guess the rest of your life. It’s something that I’ve never experienced before and hopefully never again. But it is a valuable life experience for me and something that as I said will stay there, but I have to move on.”
The athlete has been open about what he&#8217;s willing to give up for his personal medical choices, specifically tennis championships.
“That is the price that I’m willing to pay,” Djokovic <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-60354068" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the BBC. “Because the principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else. I’m trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can.”
“I was never against vaccination,” he added, “but I’ve always supported the freedom to choose what you put in your body.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/it-stays-with-you-novak-djokovic-back-in-australia-after-dramatic-detention-deportation-over-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">It ‘Stays With You’: Novak Djokovic Back In Australia After Dramatic Detention, Deportation Over Vaccine</a>

2023 US Open Championships Day 14

Novak Djokovic Comes Back To Win U.S. Open After Biden Vax Policy Ban Last Year 

Covid vaccine

Novak Djokovic

Tennis

U.S. Open

US Open

Vaccines

World

A group of teachers in New York City who were fired after they refused to take the COVID vaccine must be given their jobs back along with back pay, a New York judge ruled Wednesday.
State Supreme Court Judge Ralph Porzio <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/nyc-teachers-win-jobs-back-backpay-refusing-covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruled</a> that the decision to fire 10 employees of the New York City Education Department and deny them religious exemptions was unlawful, arbitrary, and capricious.
The group of school principals, teachers, and other educators sued the city after they were fired.
&#8220;This Court sees no rational basis for not allowing unvaccinated classroom teachers in amongst an admitted population of primarily unvaccinated students,&#8221; Porzio wrote in his 22-page opinion.
&#8220;As such, the decision to summarily deny the classroom teachers amongst the Panel Petitioners based on an undue hardship, without any further evidence of individualized analysis, is arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable. As such, each classroom teacher amongst the Panel Petitioners is entitled to a religious exemption from the Vaccine Mandate,&#8221; the judge wrote.
The 10 public school employees are entitled to their positions plus back pay in salaries, benefits, pensions, and seniority, the court ruled.
New York City&#8217;s COVID vaccine mandate for public school workers only ended on February 10. The mandate began on October 1, 2021.
The court&#8217;s decision <a href="https://www.silive.com/crime-safety/2023/09/10-covid-vaccine-related-teacher-terminations-overturned-by-state-supreme-court-judge-som-plaintiffs-motions-denied.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">only applies</a> to the 10 educators who sued, but thousands of other education workers lost their jobs due to the vaccine mandate, according to Fox News.
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The petitioners had wanted to make their lawsuit a class action suit, but the judge denied that request. Seven other petitioners were also requesting an exemption along with their jobs back with back pay, but the judge denied their requests. One of those denied was a group called Teachers for Choice, which opposes forced vaccination.
“Although the petitioners’ overall position is that the citywide panel did not provide relief to the vast majority of initial DOE applicants, and specifically that these petitioners did seek that review, the record before this court is insufficient to make any determination as to those claims,” Porzio wrote in his ruling.
The city had argued that “granting reasonable accommodation to classroom teachers could not be done without preventing a risk to the vulnerable and still primarily unvaccinated student population,” <a href="https://www.silive.com/crime-safety/2023/09/10-covid-vaccine-related-teacher-terminations-overturned-by-state-supreme-court-judge-som-plaintiffs-motions-denied.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to court documents.
The judge also cited New York City Mayor Eric Adams&#8217; decision to scrap the vaccine mandate for athletes and entertainers as evidence that the vaccine mandate for public school teachers was arbitrary and unreasonable.
The same judge ruled last year in favor of a Staten Island firefighter who was fired for refusing to take the COVID vaccine.
“Hindsight is a powerful tool,” Porzio <a href="https://www.silive.com/news/2022/10/go-fight-some-fires-covid-related-termination-of-staten-island-firefighter-overturned-in-state-supreme-court.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in that decision. “The pandemic today is not what it was a year, or even two years ago. Being vaccinated does not prevent an individual from contracting or transmitting COVID-19.&#8221;
Scores of public and private employers across the country implemented a vaccine mandate for employees when the COVID vaccine became available. Many U.S. workers across industries who requested exceptions for religious or health reasons were denied their requests.
The Biden administration also attempted to require employers with at least 100 employees to require the vaccine, but the Supreme Court blocked that mandate early last year after The Daily Wire and others <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-supreme-courts-massive-blow-against-bidens-vaxx-mandate">sued</a> the administration.

Group Of 10 NYC Teachers Lose Battle With City Over Vaccination Mandates

NYC Teachers Who Refused COVID Vaccine Must Get Jobs Back With Back Pay, Judge Rules

New York

New York City

Journalist and podcaster <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/megyn-kelly-others-blasts-newsweek-for-slamming-critics-of-article-referencing-women-as-non-men" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Megyn Kelly</a> said she regrets getting the COVID vaccine and additional booster shots after she recently “tested positive for an autoimmune issue.” 
Kelly, 52, has long been outspoken about her opposition to vaccine requirements for children, but she decided it would be best to get the shot herself. The conservative commentator said Wednesday that she realized it was a mistake to get the COVID shots after talking to her doctor when she tested positive for an autoimmune issue at her annual physical. 
&#8220;I regret getting the vaccine even though I am a 52-year-old woman because I don&#8217;t think I needed it,&#8221; Kelly said. &#8220;I think I would have been fine. I&#8217;ve gotten COVID many times and it was well past when the vaccine was doing what it was supposed to be doing.&#8221;
“I went to the best Rheumatologist in New York, and I asked her, do you think this could have to do with the fact that I got the damn booster and then got COVID within three weeks? And she said ‘yes.’ Yes,” Kelly continued. “I wasn&#8217;t the only one she&#8217;d seen that with.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Megyn Kelly on Why She Regrets Getting the COVID Vaccine After Developing &quot;Autoimmune&quot; Issue" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uNR_ikpm2VU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In October 2022, Kelly was <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/megyn-kellys-anti-vax-lies-are-a-threat-to-public-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> for spreading “anti-vax lies” after she <a href="https://twitter.com/megynkelly/status/1582854900836290560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1582854900836290560%7Ctwgr%5E8da69c2dba3b48394c9da7e45bfba1fa5dc96baf%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Fmegyn-kellys-anti-vax-lies-are-a-threat-to-public-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> that children were “dying” from myocarditis and &#8220;other injuries&#8221; after getting vaccinated against COVID. In the tweet, Kelly went on to slam the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for adding the COVID vaccine to the children’s vaccination schedule. 
“HOW DARE THE CDC ADD THIS TO ITS LIST OF SCHOOL VACCINATIONS? Don’t listen,” Kelly warned last year. “Be very careful w/ your teenage boys in [particular] but girls too. These are not honest brokers. This is dangerous!”
The former Fox News host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/scary-of-kids-dying-megyn-kelly-slams-cdc-after-they-add-covid-vaccine-to-kids-program" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last year that she initially believed the vaccine “was a miracle,” but she was “upset” by government overreach and wanted more information about any health risks associated with getting the COVID vaccine.
“The vaccines and the information about the damage that the vaccines are doing versus their efficacy is dark,” Kelly said. “Why is it being buried? Why can’t we talk about it?”
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“You can’t trust the American health services; they have only one mission, which is to push their vaccines on us,” she added.
The federal government continues encouraging Americans to get the vaccine and additional boosters. President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-request-more-funding-for-new-covid-vaccine-recommended-that-everybody-get-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last month that he would ask Congress for additional funding for developing a new COVID vaccine.
“It will likely be recommended that everybody get it no matter whether they’ve gotten it before or not,” the president said.

Megyn Kelly

Megyn Kelly Says She Regrets Getting COVID Vax, Opens Up About Autoimmune Issue After Booster

Biden Admin

COVID-19

Media

U.S.

Public <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">health</a> commentator Vin Gupta recommended on Tuesday that everyone over six months of age get boosted against <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID</a>.
During an appearance on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/msnbc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MSNBC</a>, where he is a medical contributor, Dr. Gupta alluded to the emergence of new variants amid a <a href="https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus/covid-summer-surge-2023-rcna100602" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported uptick in cases</a> across the country when asked who needs to get a booster and when.
“All of us need boosters &#8230; at six months of age and up,&#8221; Gupta said. &#8220;We’re gonna have boosters by the end of this month, hopefully, and those will protect — we believe very strongly — against these new versions of the virus.&#8221;
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ANA CABRERA: &quot;Who needs to get a booster and when?&quot;
DR. GUPTA: &quot;All of us need boosters. At six months of age and up &#8211; we&#39;re gonna have boosters by the end of this month, hopefully.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/i0eXvo2Ef7">pic.twitter.com/i0eXvo2Ef7</a>
&mdash; Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1699090477381804452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Gupta added that the virus &#8220;will continue to change&#8221; before moving on to talk about vaccine recommendations for people older than 60 or people who are medically at higher risk.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Recommendations from todays segment with <a href="https://twitter.com/yasminv?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@yasminv</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/MSNBC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MSNBC</a> : <a href="https://t.co/gz0MDODPWh">pic.twitter.com/gz0MDODPWh</a>
&mdash; Dr. Vin Gupta (@VinGuptaMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/VinGuptaMD/status/1698752531441287278?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/interim-considerations-us.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">does recommend</a> that everyone in the United States six months and older get vaccinated against COVID and that <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/clinical-considerations/interim-considerations-us.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">people stay up to date</a>.
Vaccine manufacturers Moderna, Pfizer, and Novavax are <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-vaccine-booster-xbb-variants-september-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to roll out new versions of the jab later this month after advisers to the Food and Drug Administration recommended revised shots that <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/16/health/covid-fall-booster-xbb-recommendation/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">target Omicron spinoff XBB.1.5</a> for the fall.
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Still, Gupta faced a wave of backlash on social media as conservative media accounts shared a clip on X, with several commenters saying they had no intention of following his advice.
&#8220;Not getting a booster! It does not work! Left wing lies!&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/TheLeoTerrell/status/1699128415016870120" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Fox News contributor Leo Terrell. &#8220;We won’t give up our freedoms again. No more tyrannical vaccine or mask mandates,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAndyBiggsAZ/status/1699096036025806899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ).
Some high-profile figures made headlines this week for catching COVID, including &#8220;The View&#8217;s&#8221; <a href="https://people.com/whoopi-goldberg-misses-view-season-27-premiere-covid-7965451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Whoopi Goldberg</a>. First lady Jill Biden also tested positive for COVID and is experiencing mild symptoms, her office <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jill-biden-tests-positive-for-covid-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Monday.
The White House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-biden-will-mask-up-again-and-socially-distance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> President Joe Biden has so far tested negative for COVID this week, but Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the commander-in-chief will be masking indoors and socially distancing from people.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is President Biden&#8217;s former chief medical adviser, appeared in a CNN interview over the weekend in which he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fauci-confronted-with-study-that-raised-doubts-about-masks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confronted</a> over a study that raised doubts about face masks being able to curb the spread of COVID. The longtime health official pushed back, claiming other studies emphasize the importance of individual responsibility, and raised concerns about people not adhering to health recommendations.

COVID shot

MSNBC Doctor Says Everyone Older Than 6 Months Needs COVID Booster

Health

MSNBC

New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers attended the US Open on Sunday night and appeared to praise tennis star Novak Djokovic’s refusal to get the COVID vaccine. 
Rodgers, who has received criticism in the past for his own actions regarding the COVID jab, was in attendance watching Djokovic in Queens, New York. Djokovic is competing in his first US Open in two years because he refused to get the shot. 
In an Instagram story Sunday night, Rodgers <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/04/aaron-rodgers-praises-novak-djokovics-anti-vaxx-stance-in-post-from-us-open/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> a photo of Djokovic preparing to serve the ball with the caption, “Bucket list … being able to witness the greatness of [Djokovic] in person at [Arthur Ashe Stadium]. He also included a hashtag that said “#novaxdjokovic” and had placed a red line through the Moderna logo – a biotech company that produces COVID vaccines – in an advertisement that can be seen behind the tennis star. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Aaron Rodgers went to watch Novak Djokovic play at the US Open and dropped a banger IG story <a href="https://t.co/EpVgtw6yHS">pic.twitter.com/EpVgtw6yHS</a>
&mdash; OutKick (@Outkick) <a href="https://twitter.com/Outkick/status/1698736833734050237?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Djokovic, who is from Serbia, is considered one of the <a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/rankings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">best</a> tennis players of all time but was denied entry into the United States in 2022 for the US Open. At the time, international air travelers were required to show <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/world-no-1-djokovic-finally-can-play-in-u-s-again-after-biden-ends-vaccine-requirement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proof</a> of vaccination against COVID before being allowed to enter the country. 
Earlier this year, just weeks before the COVID rule was rescinded, Djokovic was <a href="https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/35795350/novak-djokovic-pulls-indian-wells-eve-draw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forced to withdraw</a> from the Indian Wells tournament in California because the Department of Homeland Security denied his COVID vaccine waiver request, ESPN reported. 
“The reason why I was not here for two years, I have zero regret on that. I’m just glad to be back,” Djokovic <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/15/sport/novak-djokovic-cincinnati-open-tennis-spt-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told CNN</a> last month upon arriving for the US Open. “I’ve had plenty of success on American soil with Indian Wells, Miami, obviously Canada and here, [I’ve] won many times at these Masters 1,000 events, all of them. Of course, the U.S. Open as well being the pinnacle of the hard-court season. I’m just excited.”
For his part, Rodgers has also made headlines for his refusal of the COVID vaccine. In 2021, Rodgers was asked whether he was vaccinated against COVID, to which he replied that he was “immunized.” The former Green Bay Packer said he is allergic to one of the ingredients in the Pfizer and Moderna shots. 
&#8220;They were doing this, I called it a witch hunt, where they were asking every single player ‘are you vaccinated?’” Rodgers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aaron-rodgers-blasts-medias-vaccine-witch-hunt-in-chat-with-joe-rogan-reveals-immunized-strategy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> podcast host Joe Rogan last year. “I had come to the conclusion that I was going to say, ‘I’ve been immunized,’ and if there was a follow-up, then talk about my process,” he said. “But I thought there was a possibility that, I say I’m immunized, maybe they understand what that means, maybe they don’t, maybe they follow up. They didn’t follow up.”
Instead of getting injected with a vaccine, Rodgers said he &#8220;looked into other options which included an immunization process through holistic doctor. I researched and talked to probably a dozen different MDs. I found a protocol that I felt like was the best available.”
Research on the relatively new COVID vaccines is still being conducted. According to one leading medical expert, young men <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-100-colleges-are-still-enforcing-vaccine-mandates-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">face an elevated risk</a> of heart inflammation after vaccination, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-than-100-colleges-are-still-enforcing-vaccine-mandates-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
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Dr. Marty Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and an oncology surgeon at the school’s affiliated hospital, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/covid-vaccine-brings-higher-heart-risk-little-benefit-to-young-men-medical-expert-warns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted</a> a study from Cedars Sinai that found a 30% increase in heart attack deaths among adults between the ages of 25 and 44 during the first two years of the COVID pandemic. While the uptick could result from the virus itself, Makary, speaking to The Daily Wire&#8217;s “Morning Wire” podcast in February, said there’s evidence that the vaccine could be to blame.
“We did not see the uptake before the vaccine was rolled out, but young people were primarily affected around that same time, as well,” Makary told “Morning Wire.&#8221; &#8220;The state of Florida did their own study, looking at heart attacks after the vaccine in particular, and found that there was an 81% increase in sudden death from heart attacks in the months following the vaccine compared to baseline rates. So many people do believe that the vaccine is one of the causes of heart problems in young people.”
Amanda Prestigiacomo contributed to this report.

Aaron Rodgers US Open

Aaron Rodgers Appears To Show Support For ‘Novax’ Djokovic’s COVID Vaccine Stance At US Open

Aaron Rodgers

Sports

Johns Hopkins University health policy expert and surgeon Dr. Marty Makary said on Sunday that &#8220;highly partisan&#8221; experts changed the culture of medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic after recent remarks from Dr. Anthony Fauci responding to a study that said masks didn&#8217;t work.
&#8220;There&#8217;s been a lot of groupthink — there has been an attempt to silence anyone against the consensus and medicine change the culture of medicine changed during COVID,&#8221; Makary <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1698465910804169033" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News anchor Jon Scott on FOX Report.
&#8220;We now have an era where experts who are highly partisan are citing data with conclusions that they like even if those studies are flawed, and they ignore studies that have conclusions that they don&#8217;t want to hear, even if those studies have impeccable standards,&#8221; he added.
Makary&#8217;s comments were in response to a recent CNN appearance from former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was asked to respond to an analysis released in January by The Cochrane Institute that raised doubts about face masks being able to curb the spread of COVID.
The Cochrane study made the rounds earlier this year, leading to headlines saying that face masks made &#8220;little to no difference&#8221; in preventing the spread of COVID after a wave of mask guidelines and mandates during the pandemic.
&#8220;And Dr. Fauci, rather than criticize it or tried to point out a flaw in that study, acknowledges that it was &#8216;less strong than other data,'&#8221; Makary said.
During his CNN interviews, Fauci stressed that other reviews focus on the individual level.
&#8220;When you&#8217;re talking about the effect on the epidemic or the pandemic as a whole, the data are less strong,&#8221; Fauci <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fauci-confronted-with-study-that-raised-doubts-about-masks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;But when you talk about as an individual basis of someone protecting themselves or protecting themselves from spreading it to others, there&#8217;s no doubt that there&#8217;s many studies that show that there is an advantage.&#8221;
He added that the Cochrane study&#8217;s population level showed the data as less firm regarding the effect on the overall pandemic.
&#8220;But we&#8217;re not talking about that — we&#8217;re talking about an individual&#8217;s effect on their own safety,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That&#8217;s a bit different than the broad population level.&#8221;
Makary further criticized the medical community for believing other pandemic-related recommendations from Dr. Fauci and how a similar &#8220;political allegiance&#8221; is emerging as some colleges require students to mask up again and take another COVID vaccine after a recent <a href="https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus/covid-summer-surge-2023-rcna100602">uptick in COVID cases</a> and the emergence of a new variant.
&#8220;We have ignored the data on the largest public health intervention in human history,&#8221; Makary <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1698472473141116950" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Instead, everybody is rewriting their own story.&#8221;
&#8220;I wish we could have seen less sort of blind political allegiance to one or two public health experts and instead talk about things like obesity and the mental health crisis,&#8221; he added. &#8220;There&#8217;s a group of doctors that believe 100% of what Dr. Fauci has said from ignoring natural immunity to the data on myocarditis pushing boosters in young people, masking toddlers closing schools, and now you&#8217;re seeing the same sort of political allegiance with the mask issue and the Cochrane Review.&#8221;
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Dr. Marty Makary

Dr. Marty Makary Criticizes ‘Highly Partisan’ Experts For Changing Medical Community During Pandemic

Dr. Marty Makary Criticizes 'Highly Partisan' Experts For Changing Medical Community During Pandemic

Anthony Fauci

Newly-released data suggests that 99% of the new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID</a> deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) may primarily be attributed to other causes.
Of the 324 COVID deaths reported in the last week — the week that ended August 19 — by the CDC, fewer than 2% of those cases (1.7%) actually attributed the primary cause of death to COVID-19.
Different regions reported slight variations in that rate — in New York, for example, 2.1% of reported cases showed COVID-19 as the primary cause of death. The rate hovered right at 2% for Tennessee and North Carolina, and ticked up slightly to 2.4% in Washington.
The highest rates were in Florida and Maryland, where COVID-19 was listed as the primary cause of death in 3.4% of the reported cases.
This new data comes as COVID cases nationwide have seen recent upticks, prompting Morris-Brown College in Atlanta to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/georgia-college-has-zero-cases-of-covid-theyre-bringing-the-mask-mandate-back-anyway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reinstitute mask mandates</a> and other mitigation measures despite having no positive cases on campus at the time.
Similar measures were put into place at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lionsgate-film-studio-reinstates-mask-mandates-effective-immediately-until-further-notice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lionsgate Films</a> studio in California, where there had been a few positive cases. Employees were told to monitor their symptoms, and will be subject to temperature checks and other mitigation requirements in addition to face masks while they are present in the building.
Preparation for colder weather and a potential surge in new cases has also led President Joe Biden to announce plans to fund a new COVID vaccine.
&#8220;I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to Congress a request for additional funding for a new vaccine that is necessary, that works,&#8221; Biden said last week while visiting Lake Tahoe. &#8220;Tentatively it is recommended that it will likely be recommended everybody get it no matter whether they’ve gotten it before or not.&#8221;
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White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has also spoken on the topic, promising that the Biden administration will be actively encouraging the American people to get the latest booster shot as it becomes available.
WATCH:
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The White House says the administration is &quot;prepared for the fall&quot; when it comes to dealing with a rise in COVID infections.
This comes after Biden said he is planning to request more money from Congress to develop another new coronavirus vaccine, as hospitalizations rise. <a href="https://t.co/V3KDH1Zcj9">pic.twitter.com/V3KDH1Zcj9</a>
&mdash; The Associated Press (@AP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1696282662414209044?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2023</a></blockquote>
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In this photo illustration, a hand extracting a dose of

Doctoring The Numbers: 99% Of Recent COVID-Attributed Deaths Do Not List Virus As Primary Cause

Joe Biden

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website appeared to have quietly “concluded” collecting COVID-19 vaccine adverse events on the federal agency’s V-safe website earlier this summer.
“Thank you for your participation. Data collection for COVID-19 vaccines concluded on June 30, 2023,” the V-safe <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20230821200440/https:/vsafe.cdc.gov/covid/en/">website</a> reads.
Instead of displaying data collected from the mRNA vaccine, the CDC website redirects users to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) website for adverse event reporting, while health authorities <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/ensuringsafety/monitoring/vsd/index.html">reportedly</a> continue to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.
Dr. David Gortler, a Brownstone Institute Fellow who formerly served as a senior official and advisor for the FDA, first <a href="https://brownstone.org/articles/cdc-refusing-new-covid-vaccine-adverse-event-reports/">reported</a> the change in the CDC’s website, questioning why the federal agency removed the data, asking, “Does this mean that the CDC believes that the mRNA Covid-19 injections are so safe, there is no need to monitor adverse event reports any longer?” 
The CDC, however, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/ensuringsafety/monitoring/v-safe/index.html#:~:text=V%2Dsafe%20users%20or%20others,Event%20Reporting%20System%20(VAERS).">reportedly</a> is developing a new version of the v-safe system, “which will allow users to share their post-vaccination experiences with new vaccines.”
Since mRNA injections hit the market in 2021, Gortler cited the FDA’s VAERS database that presents the vaccines as “primary suspect” of more than 1.5 million adverse event reports, including heart attacks and cases of myocarditis and pericarditis in the U.S. Gortler also cited an FDA-funded study out of Harvard that states VAERS reports represent less than 1 percent of vaccine adverse events that actually occur.
Before the CDC removed the database, Gortler shared an image from the V-safe Covid Vaccine Adverse Health Impacts dashboard that stated over 6.4 million individuals were impacted out of 10.1 million users, including roughly 2 million who were “unable to conduct normal activities of daily living or needing medical care,” Gortler wrote.
The Brownstone report comes amid rumors that Transportation Security Administration (TSA) managers were recently instructed that pandemic-era restrictions, including mask-wearing for travelers and COVID-19 lockdowns, would return to the U.S. before 2024. But officials reportedly <a href="https://apnews.com/article/fact-check-covid-lockdown-masks-tsa-445214096334">told</a> The Associated Press such reports were “utterly false” and that they never received such information.
Still, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-request-more-funding-for-new-covid-vaccine-recommended-that-everybody-get-it">said</a> last week that he plans to ask Congress for additional funding for developing a new COVID-19 vaccine.
“I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to the Congress a request for additional funding for a new vaccine that is necessary, that works,” Biden, according to the Associated Press, adding, “It will likely be recommended that everybody get it no matter whether they’ve gotten it before or not.”
Pfizer and Moderna are working on new vaccines to fight the latest variant — descended from omicron — as some scientists warn of rising COVID cases nationwide. At the end of July, COVID hospitalizations were just over 9,000, but that’s only a fraction of the admissions seen during the height of COVID and later surges of the delta and omicron variants, the AP reported. In January 2022, during a surge from Omicron, an estimated 150,000 people were in the hospital from the virus.
The slight rise in COVID cases has caused some businesses and universities to reinstate mask mandates. Morris Brown College in Atlanta is bringing back a mask mandate despite having zero reported cases of COVID on campus.
Lionsgate Films in California also temporarily reinstated mask mandates for some of its Santa Monica offices. The studio said it would have a “building entry policy” that requires employees “to perform a daily self-screening prior to coming to the office each day,” and workers must also notify the company of any “new or worsening symptoms” or if they “traveled internationally in the last 10 days.” Lionsgate has since lifted the mandate, saying it had contained the COVID spread.
This article has been updated for more context and clarity on the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine data collection methods.    
Zach Jewell contributed to this report.

CDC headquarters in Atlanta

CDC Concludes COVID Vaccine Data Collection, Redirects Adverse Event Reports While Developing New System: Report

Biden Administration

President Joe Biden said Friday that he will ask Congress for additional funding for the development of a new COVID vaccine.
The president announced his request for more funding while speaking to reporters as he vacations in Lake Tahoe, California. 
“I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to the Congress a request for additional funding for a new vaccine that is necessary, that works,” Biden, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/4172467-biden-to-request-funds-for-another-covid-vaccine-amid-rising-cases/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Associated Press, adding, “It will likely be recommended that everybody get it no matter whether they’ve gotten it before or not.” 
Pfizer and Moderna are currently working on new vaccines to fight the latest omicron strain as some scientists warn of rising COVID cases across the country. At the end of July, COVID hospitalizations were just over 9,000, but that’s only a fraction of the admissions that were seen during the height of COVID and later surges of the delta and omicron variants, the AP <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-says-will-request-funding-new-covid-vaccine-rcna101919" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. In January 2022 during a surge from omicron, an estimated 150,000 people were in the hospital from the virus. 
The slight rise in COVID cases has caused some businesses and universities to reinstate mask mandates. Morris Brown College in Atlanta is bringing back a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/georgia-college-has-zero-cases-of-covid-theyre-bringing-the-mask-mandate-back-anyway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mask mandate</a> despite having zero reported cases of COVID on campus. Lionsgate film studio in California is also reinstating mask mandates for some of its Santa Monica offices. Lionsgate said it would have a “building entry policy” that requires employees “to perform a daily self-screening prior to coming to the office each day.” and workers must also notify the company of any “new or worsening symptoms” or if they “traveled internationally in the last 10 days.” Lionsgate later <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/08/lionsgate-mask-mandate-lifted-covid-outbreak-1235528599/">lifted</a> the mandate, saying it had contained the COVID spread.  
The Biden administration is hoping that updated COVID vaccines will be available at the end of September. Updated shots developed by Pfizer, Moderna, and smaller manufacturer Novavax still have to be approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC. 
“Vaccination is going to continue to be key this year because immunity wanes and because the COVID-19 virus continues to change,” a Biden administration official <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-08-25/biden-administration-eyes-mid-september-for-new-covid-19-booster-shot-rollout" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on a call with reporters. “For those reasons, vaccines remain the best protection against hospitalization and death.”
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The White House requested $40 billion from Congress earlier this month, but it did not include additional funding for COVID vaccines. Instead, the Biden administration asked for more than $24 billion to go to Ukraine, $12 billion to replenish disaster relief funds, and $4 billion for issues at the southern border such as housing illegal immigrants, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/10/biden-ukraine-emergency-funds-00110691">reported</a>.

Biden To Request More Funding For New COVID Vaccine: ‘Recommended That Everybody Get It’

Biden To Request More Funding For New COVID Vaccine: 'Recommended That Everybody Get It'

Congress

Politics

A judge has reversed a decision from the University of Virginia Health System to fire a woman after she chose not to take the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COVID vaccine</a> and applied for a religious exemption. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/virginia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virginia</a> District Judge Claude V. Worrell ruled last week that the UVA Health System had wrongfully terminated Kaycee McCoy, a cytotechnologist there for more than ten years, <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/23891516/mccoy-case-ruling.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to court documents. 
“Because UVA acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner, this court reverses their decision to fire Plaintiff for failing to be vaccinated from Covid-19. They are hereby enjoined from preventing her employment on the basis of vaccination as long as she continues to qualify for a religious accommodation properly applied,” the judge ruled, a decision first <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/worker-fired-over-refusal-to-receive-covid-19-vaccine-wins-job-back-5433907" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by the Epoch Times. 
Worrell ruled that McCoy should be given back pay with interest from the time she was fired to the time of his decision. 
McCoy, who aided in screening cancer cells and other pathological conditions, was fired in November 2021 after she applied for a religious exception to the COVID vaccine with a letter from her pastor. Her application was denied, and she was given no opportunity to appeal, according to Worrell’s decision. 
Virginia Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin <a href="https://www.wric.com/news/politics/capitol-connection/gov-youngkin-to-sign-executive-actions-banning-critical-race-theory-ending-school-mask-mandate-and-rescinding-vaccine-mandate-for-state-employees/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">removed</a> the vaccine mandate for state employees, but some federal vaccine requirements still applied for entities that receive Medicare and Medicaid funding. Worrell noted that these mandates are still subject to religious and medical exemptions. 
While Biden&#8217;s vaccine mandate for workers was overturned by the Supreme Court after a suit from a number of groups, including The Daily Wire, the end of the mandate for healthcare workers was only <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-06-05/pdf/2023-11449.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in June 2023.
While the judge said that religious rights were not absolute, the health system should have allowed a religious exemption in this case because she had shown evidence of her “sincerely held religious beliefs that allowed her to seek an exception.” 
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The judge’s decision was praised by the religious liberty advocacy group First Liberty Counsel. 
“This is an important victory for religious liberty and for those who have not caved into these unlawful shot mandates. Forcing an employee to choose between their sincerely held religious beliefs and their job is highly unconstitutional. Applying for a religious exemption is a legal right and cannot be arbitrarily denied,” Liberty Counsel founder and chairman Mat Staver said.

A young doctor in white protective glove is holding a medical syringe and vial

Judge ‘Reverses’ Health System’s Decision To Fire Worker Over COVID Vaccine, Orders Back Pay

Courts

Glenn Youngkin

University of Virginia

Virginia

More than 100 colleges and universities are still enforcing COVID vaccine mandates for students &#8212; some three years out from the start of the pandemic.
A report from No College Mandates lists 104 colleges and universities still requiring COVID vaccinations, including Harvard University, Johns Hopkins, Rutgers University, DePauw University, University of Pittsburgh, and San Diego State University.
According to COVID policies outlined on some of these schools&#8217; websites, staff and faculty are sometimes required to be vaccinated, too, The Daily Wire has reviewed. Additionally, some of the schools permit religious or medical exemptions.
No College Mandates brands itself as a group of &#8220;concerned parents, doctors, nurses, professors, students and other college stakeholders working towards the common goal of ending COVID-19 vaccine mandates.&#8221; The site has additionally <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11BrDadiUGN-vQBe7Jolcb_-aWhLT7S2AkWOkSX49M40/edit#gid=888077202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compiled</a> a list of more than 1,200 schools with details on specific COVID vaccine policies.
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There are 104 colleges in the US still mandating COVID vaccines for students (faculty exempted) and some have indicated they will never let this go. All the while, they refuse to make sense of their pseudoscience. <a href="https://t.co/R9hlVbPbwc">pic.twitter.com/R9hlVbPbwc</a>
&mdash; No College Mandates (@NCM4Ever) <a href="https://twitter.com/NCM4Ever/status/1682766921916207106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Some colleges and universities have only recently discontinued their vaccine requirements. For example, 64 New York state schools, all part of the SUNY system, <a href="https://www.suny.edu/suny-news/press-releases/4-23/4-11-23-vax/vaccines.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropped</a> the COVID vaccine mandate in April of this year.
Some schools even mandated COVID booster shots for students as of last year. One young woman, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/her-doctor-advised-her-to-skip-the-booster-shot-over-possible-side-effects-so-her-college-expelled-her" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diamond Ellie Puentes</a>, was abruptly expelled from Union College in April 2022 after she requested a medical exemption to the COVID booster shot. Puentes, who became ill after taking the second dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine, is now <a href="https://dailygazette.com/2023/03/02/former-student-suing-union-college-over-vaccine-mandate/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suing</a> Union College over her treatment and expulsion.
Research on the relatively new COVID vaccines is still being conducted. Harvard and Yale scientists, for example, are <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-12267293/Harvard-Yale-scientists-probing-new-condition-linked-Covid-vaccines.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> studying a condition dubbed “Long Vax.”
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One of those researchers, Yale University cardiologist Harlan Krumholz, <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/rare-link-between-coronavirus-vaccines-and-long-covid-illness-starts-gain-acceptance">said</a> he was hesitant to conduct these studies because he didn’t want the “anti-vaccine” movement to seize on these findings, but he ultimately decided it was his obligation as a scientist to have an open mind.
Moreover, young men face an elevated risk of heart inflammation after getting the COVID vaccine, according to a leading medical expert.
Dr. Marty Makary, a professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and an oncology surgeon at the school’s affiliated hospital, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/covid-vaccine-brings-higher-heart-risk-little-benefit-to-young-men-medical-expert-warns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted</a> a study from Cedars Sinai that found a 30% increase in heart attack deaths among adults between the ages of 25 and 44 during the first two years of the COVID pandemic. One theory is that the uptick could be the result of the virus itself, but Makary, speaking to “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire">Morning Wire</a>” in February, said there&#8217;s evidence that the vaccine could be to blame.
“We did not see the uptake before the vaccine was rolled out, but young people were primarily affected around that same time, as well,” Makary told &#8220;Morning Wire.&#8221; “The state of Florida did their own study, looking at heart attacks after the vaccine in particular, and found that there was an 81% increase in sudden death from heart attacks in the months following the vaccine compared to baseline rates. So many people do believe that the vaccine is one of the causes of heart problems in young people.”
UPDATE: Sarah Lawrence College has been removed from this piece as  one of the school&#8217;s mandating a COVID vaccine for the coming semester, after a representative from the school told The Daily Wire via email that they are no longer requiring proof of vaccination. It&#8217;s unclear when this policy changed.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/covid-vaccine-brings-higher-heart-risk-little-benefit-to-young-men-medical-expert-warns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Her Doctor Advised Her To Skip The Booster Shot Over Possible Side Effects. So Her College Expelled Her.</a>

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