Jordan Vaughn, M.D., internist, founder and CEO of MedHelp and co-founder of the Concerned Doctors organization, testified before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday about the COVID vaccine and long COVID.
Vaughn said that, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he had studied SARS and the spike protein associated with it very closely. When he first heard about the vaccine, he instantly became concerned. However, his concerns grew as he gave the vaccine to his patients.
"As I started to give the vaccine, I started to notice that some of my patients had some interesting side effects," Vaughn said. "My first encounter was a 69-year-old patient of mine who had been my patient for about 10 years."
"He developed a significant short of breath, elevated BNP, elevated D-dimer, and as much as I wanted to think he had a pulmonary embolism, he didn't based on the CT scan that was done," Vaughn continued. "Instead, again, driving me back into the research that was available thanks to the National Library of Medicine, I was able to find out that the coagulopathic effects of the spike protein can cause something like this."
Vaughn treated that patient with anti-coagulants, and his condition improved. But for Vaughn, the work had just begun.
He studied harder and spoke with other doctors, including cardiologists and neurologists, who were seeing the same thing he was seeing. Long COVID became a problem. People continued to have COVID-19 symptoms and difficulties months and even years after contracting the virus.
Vaughn said that since 2022, he has seen around 2,000 patients with sequela from COVID-19 or the vaccine. Vaughn noted that many people no longer trust the system due to changes in the medical landscape following COVID-19.
"Especially in those with vaccine injury, their faith in medicine and public health is shattered," he said.
The doctor said it is shameful that many government employees, including military members, have become disabled because they were mandated to take the vaccine.
"The amount of young individuals that following the injection had significant issues like shortness of breath, myocarditis or basically are now being medically discharged because they're unable to complete their physical requirements in the military is fairly devastating," he added.
Vaughn explained that informed consent is the foundation of the patient-physician relationship. However, he said that the relationship was broken because doctors were unable to decide on an individual's course of action.
"We've heard media, public health officials and politicians use the phrase, 'follow the science," Vaughn continued. "The problem with following the science is that science does not lead anywhere. Science is an observer, measurer and descriptor, not a leader. Individuals lead, pressing science to lead is a way decision-makers avoid accountability for choices they make on the public's behalf."
"The leader is appealing to the authority of science to decide a course of action to conveniently sidestep accountability in the event of failure," he said. "I implore my physicians and scientists to not follow the science but lead humbly with science for the good of our patients."
U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who led the hearing, asked Vaughn how politics impacted his treatment of COVID-19. He said patients lost trust when they were mandated to take a vaccine they didn't feel good about.
"There are certain patients that don't need to have their immune system in a sense poked," he explained. "I think most physicians would agree with that. But that knowledge is what a physician and their patient have in the relationship that exists. It is not something that is found in a parking lot when you roll down your window."
While Vaughn said he did not feel pressure from the government to treat patients a certain way, he said a group of doctors wrote to the Board of Medicine after he stated he did not believe the vaccine prevented transmission. He had to go before the board and explain his findings.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email erica.thomas@1819news.com.
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