Vaccine Mandate Stories

Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

I have worked for CentraCare for almost 7 years now and have been in health care most of my life as it runs in my family. I have worked as an CNA since 2007, an LPN since 2009 and most recently a RN since 2019. 

First of all, I would like to explain my work during the pandemic, when it first came around, I was sent from my department of dermatology when the lockdowns started occurring to work in the Acute Respiratory Clinics and swab tents. I worked my full-time hours and sometimes more daily from March up until mid-July 2020. I saw thousands of the asymptomatic, and some very ill. I sacrificed my summer, my dream job in Dermatology, and hours of my time helping out during our time of need. I offered to help in multiple different ways and positions and provided water and ice cream to my co-workers when it was 95+ degrees in the tents. On top of that I worked with the Minnesota State Emergency Operations and worked in multiple COVID Long Term Care Units across the state (I had a total of 11 W-2s last year all but one was covid nursing). I am well aware of many of the symptoms, and how different people are affected differently, as with very many diseases and illnesses. There were multiple occasions I knew our PPE wasn’t working effective, but we made do with what we had, never once was I concerned for my own safety other than being exhausted from all my extra hours as this is what nursing is about. According to two different antibody tests and Covid swabs I have never tested positive, despite prior to the pandemic and testing I was very ill along with family members, when I believe I had it. I have held the hands of those dying who had to be separated from their families, not because they had COVID but because they were on hospice for other causes, depressed and their loved ones had to say good-bye through an I Pad. 

As you can see, I am well aware of the implications of COVID. 

Yes, I was mandated to have a few vaccinations as terms of my employment. These vaccinations took many years to be approved and were not mandated until years of research and approval were completed. These vaccinations have the common side effects of low-grade fever, chills, fatigue and muscle aches, potential for irritation at injection site, that last for 24-72 hours. The COVID vaccinations have a multitude of concerning side effects that are lasting longer than 72 hours, more so than what is listed on their patient education sheet, which cannot be called a Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS) because there is not enough research or information to provide one. These side effects are lymphadenopathy, myocarditis, Bell’s palsy, and so on. I currently work for our triage phone line. I have received many calls from patients that have very concerning initial side effects from the vaccination. Unfortunately I don’t see the multiple follow up appointments post reaction nor am I allowed to check up weeks later. Of the side effects I have seen they seem to have no other clinical correlation other than just receiving the vaccination. First you have those that receive one or two doses and they are so incredibly ill, the develop shortness of breath a cough, a high fever, muscle aches and body aches and these symptoms last for days to the point where they are tested for covid and sometimes still negative. Others have experienced large swelling of lymph nodes in their axillary areas and collar bone areas. I had one patient the swelling didn’t start until a week later started in the axilla of the side her injection was on, and spread across her collar bone area and the lymph nodes became so big it was bothering her to swallow and breathe. I have had patients with severe blood clots in their legs or elsewhere. I have had patients with chest pain, and shortness of breath who have had to go to the emergency department for a heart attack. We have had kids, who develop shortness of breath, chest pain and uncontrollable shivering – for hours on end with no fever, which I only can assume is neurological, and tremors. I have a friend whose husband had an experience where she thought he was going to die because his blood pressure fluctuated and his heart raced so much post vaccination 30 minutes after as well as hours after. All of the side effects I have seen require emergency department dispositions flooding our hospitals with patients. And these are just the current short term effects that could last long term or life-long but who knows?! Studies that have been performed show there is possible hyper reaction to reinfection which is almost always fatal. This vaccine is attacking our immune systems and I am willing to almost bet we see an uptick in autoimmune disease in those vaccinated. I think the more heartbreaking cases I have seen are the elderly who in fear have not left their homes for over a year, they went and got the “life saving vaccine” and then assume they can participate in society again because they are protected, and then bam they come down with covid symptoms, and these symptoms hit them hard, weakness, dizziness, shortness of breath, cough, loss of appetite. If they don’t have help in their homes they are left to die. No one has ever promoted to them adequate care if you have covid or treatment at home care. No, it’s just wait until you can’t breathe then give us a call. All around the care our patients are receiving is not right. We are silenced on the side effects we are seeing and everything is censored to follow the guidance from the doctors and administrators who many have not even touched a covid patient.

The nurses code of ethics talks about autonomy where our patients have the right to decide and choose, and have informed consent. How can we properly obtain informed consent with such a vast array of side effects and not enough data to consider long term side effects?

Yes, all vaccines have side effects, some can be potentially fatal, but based on research I have done on my own on the VAERS website, CDC, WHO on a non-biased web search platform as well as just personal experience working with the CareConnect, I was receiving very scary phone calls with side effects that I have never experienced with vaccinations before. Prior to working with CentraCare I was an immunization coordinator at my rural health clinic that I worked at. I am not anti-vaccination by any means, but there is very little research on this vaccination and not only that it has been noted in the news and the CDC that the data in which the research was conducted is not very reliable in itself. We are conducting research based on numbers that are not accurate. Currently on VAERS data for the COVID vaccination, regardless of what manufacturer there have been 12,366 deaths attributed to the COVID Vaccination, 46,036 hospitalizations, 92,527 office visits, 4,044 Bell’s Palsy and 4,759 episodes of anaphylaxis. In comparison, the mandated vaccinations for terms of employment for such as Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Tetanus Diphtheria and Pertussis and Influenza, vaccinations have a total of 290 deaths. Most recent Influenza vaccinations – which are mandated yearly, or we have the option to wear a mask if we refuse – report per VAERS documentation for last year 140 deaths, 123 anaphylaxis episodes, 4 episodes of Bell’s Palsy. Again, I am not anti-vaccine, I am just skeptical and well aware of the side effects of the items I put in my body, especially when currently my risk of COVID death is less than 1%. 

I have been called out by some medical colleagues as not being a leader because I am not comfortable with receiving the vaccine. I am not discouraging others to get it. In fact some of my friends and family have received it and that is their choice. I will always advocate for my patient’s right to choose. Who now will advocate for me? I feel I am being a leader and making my own informed decision based on the critical thinking I have been taught over my many years of nursing. I believe we should all have this choice. We advocate for our patients. It’s time to advocate for us. The country of Sweden has almost completely eradicated COVID and is not having reinfections with the Delta Variant because they have natural immunity. Yes, unfortunately with as with any disease, some died, a total of 14,621 (1,438 people/per million) to date in Sweden, versus the U.S – as of today we have had 637,561 (1,914 people/per million) deaths to date. However, these numbers may be skewed as well as the CDC has admitted that the COVID death counts have been incorrectly reported. Sweden’s current death rate for COVID for the past week seven whole days has been ZERO.