mRNA ‘Vaccines’ and Myocarditis

Are COVID-19 vaccines linked to a higher risk of myocarditis? A new study co-authored by IMA Senior Fellows Dr. Jessica Rose and Dr. Kirk Milhoan says yes.—and the findings are sounding alarms.

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Speakers: Dr. Ryan Cole, Dr. Jessica Rose

Transparency in medicine is a key pillar of IMA’s approach to healthcare reform, and the story of mRNA and myocarditis is a clear example of what can go wrong when Honest Medicine is lost.

This week, Dr. Ryan Cole welcomes Dr. Rose for a deep-dive into the data and its implications—from molecular mimicry and spike protein toxicity to hospitalization rates and adolescent risk. It’s a timely and urgent conversation that challenges the silence, demands accountability, and defends your right to informed consent.

Do the mRNA COVID-19 ‘vaccines’ cause myocarditis? New research makes it difficult to argue otherwise

A recently published peer-reviewed study, Myocarditis after SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 Vaccination: Epidemiology, Outcomes, and New Perspectives found in the International Journal of Cardiovascular Research & Innovation, presents a thorough examination of the link between COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and myocarditis.

The paper, authored by M. Nathaniel Mead, Dr. Jessica Rose, Dr. William Makis, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, Nicolas Hulscher, and Dr. Peter A. McCullough, includes contributions from two Senior Fellows of the Independent Medical Alliance (IMA): Dr. Rose and Dr. Milhoan. With the publication of this study, it has become clear that the COVID-19 vaccine has caused immense harm to otherwise healthy individuals, most of whom faced near zero risk of complications from the COVID-19 virus itself.

The Myths and Misconceptions of Myocarditis and the COVID-19 Vaccines

The study addresses three widespread claims made by public health authorities throughout the vaccination campaign and presents evidence that directly challenges each.

1. Myth 1: COVID-19 infection causes more myocarditis than the vaccines.

2. Myth 2: Vaccine-induced myocarditis is mild and self-resolving.

3. Myth 3: The benefits outweigh the risks for all groups.

“It’s not mild or transient, in my opinion… If you have a young person who’s not fully developed sustaining damage to their heart—that automatically is not mild.” — Dr. Jessica Rose

Myth 1: “COVID-19 infection causes more myocarditis than the vaccine.”

This claim has been repeated by public health officials, but the data doesn’t hold. According to the authors, multiple studies indicate that the incidence of myocarditis is significantly higher following mRNA vaccination than from SARS-CoV-2 infection—especially in young males. The review highlights that this risk remains even in the Omicron era and may be underestimated due to underreporting.

“The risk of myocarditis following the second dose of an mRNA vaccine in young men outweighs the risk from SARS-CoV-2 infection in the same demographic.” — Mead et al.

This claim has been especially mystifying when considering the fact that young males are among those least likely to contract or suffer complications from a COVID-19 infection.

Myth 2: “Vaccine-induced myocarditis is mild and self-resolving.”

Public messaging has repeatedly described post-vaccine myocarditis as “mild” and self-resolving. However, the review cites studies indicating that a large proportion of patients experience lingering symptoms, and many show evidence of cardiac damage on MRI months after onset. The authors also document severe outcomes, including permanent heart damage and sudden cardiac death. The study goes into detail, but their main findings include:

• “These ‘mild clinical cases’ can involve severe cardiac fibrosis (scarring), with permanent damage to the heart muscle and a lifelong risk of potentially fatal arrhythmias.” — Mead et al.

• “Over time, such damage can progress to congestive heart failure and premature death.” — Mead et al.

• “Approximately 60% of young individuals hospitalized with myocarditis following mRNA vaccines exhibited persistent signs of myocardial injury about six months post-vaccination.” — Mead et al.

It’s also worth pointing out that this myth has been spread with limited or no data to back it up. It begs the question, why are so many scientific institutions comfortable making baseless claims?

Myth 3: “The benefits outweigh the risks for all groups.”

For elderly and high-risk populations, this may still be debated. But for healthy children and adolescents—the group most impacted by vaccine-associated myocarditis—the claim doesn’t hold. The authors argue that for these individuals, the risk of vaccine-induced harm is clear and documented, while the risk from COVID-19 itself remains negligible.

• “Mounting evidence supports the assertion that the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines can induce severe and sometimes fatal myocarditis.” — Mead et al.

• “96% of the myocarditis cases initially reported to VAERS before June 11, 2021, and meeting the CDC’s case definition were hospitalized.” — Mead et al.

• “Krug et al. identified 253 cases of myocarditis among boys ages 12–17 and observed an 87% hospitalization rate.” — Mead et al.

‘Myocarditis after SARS-CoV-2 Infection and COVID-19 Vaccination: Epidemiology, Outcomes, and New Perspectives’

Why Do COVID ‘Vaccines’ Cause Myocarditis?

The central mechanism is the spike protein, which is known to be cardiotoxic. The mRNA vaccine instructs the body to produce this protein, but unlike traditional vaccines, the amount produced can vary widely by individual. There is no way to control the dose, and contrary to early assumptions, the spike protein does not remain localized in the injection site.

“There’s still no way to know how much spike protein you’re going to be manufacturing, or for how long.” — Dr. Jessica Rose

Animal studies and biodistribution data suggest that lipid nanoparticles can travel to the heart, liver, ovaries, and other organs, contributing to systemic inflammation. Though many people received vaccine doses without issue, this study shows that cases of myocarditis happened due to the COVID injections that would not have otherwise happened with the virus alone.

The Role of Molecular Mimicry and Other Deep Mechanisms

Another mechanism identified in the study is molecular mimicry: certain sections of the spike protein closely resemble human proteins, including those found in the heart. This resemblance can confuse the immune system, prompting it to attack healthy tissue.

“This spike protein is really insidious… There are short peptides within it that are homologous to human proteins.” — Dr. Jessica Rose

In a nutshell, molecular mimicry creates a scenario in the body where our immune system gets confused and begins attacking itself. If this happens in the heart, it could potentially lead to myocarditis or pericarditis.

There are other harmful properties and mechanisms as well, including:

• Superantigen sites, which cause excessive immune activation

• Amyloidogenic peptides, which may contribute to unusual clot formation

• Homologous sequences to cardiac proteins, such as α-myosin

These insights help explain the autoimmune-like presentations seen in some patients, as well as the persistence of symptoms long after the acute phase of illness.

Historical Context: We Knew Early, But It Was Suppressed

From early in the COVID-19 vaccination campaign, signals of myocarditis were not difficult to find. There was a huge influx of reports of myocarditis in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), and the CDC formally acknowledged the risk as early as June 2021, particularly among young males under 30.

Still, public health officials insisted that the benefits outweighed the risks—despite a reported increase of over 1,000% in myocarditis among vaccinated teenage boys compared to historical baseline rates. This was a spike in a group that had never experienced myocarditis at such a scale before in recorded medical history.

And yet, the recommendations continued. As of April 2025, the American Academy of Pediatrics still urges COVID-19 vaccination for children. The CDC has kept it on the U.S. childhood immunization schedule, though HHS Secretary RFK Jr. has recently advocated for its removal. The Government of Canada recommends it for children 6 months and older. The public health agencies in Australia recommend it as well, though at least not for those under the age of 18.

The authors of this study call for an immediate moratorium on the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines—especially in children, adolescents, and other low-risk populations. They emphasize the potential for lasting harm and the need for accountability in vaccine policy.

“We’ve seen enough of a signal, and enough of a concern, that we are quite confident in saying what is best for the population is for these shots to be pulled from the market.” — Dr. Kirk Milhoan

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“This paper is also a symbol. It’s a compilation of an enormous amount of work, basically focused on myocarditis, SARS and injection related. But here’s the clincher. There are over 14,000 different types of reported adverse events in the context of the COVID shots… I’m absolutely sure that if somebody put the work in… they could get a paper just like this… to show another elephant in the room…” — Dr. Jessica Rose

Moving forward, IMA continues to advocate for:

• Evidence-based policy

• Transparent communication about vaccine risk

• Respect for medical freedom and informed consent

We encourage healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public to review the study in full, consider its implications carefully, and ask whether current vaccine policies reflect the best available science—or something else entirely.