Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) made a fool of himself at a hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Wednesday when attempted to suggest that young men who take the COVID-19 vaccine are more likely to have myocarditis (which is an inflammation of the heart muscle).
Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel was testifying before the committee and was asked by Paul:
“Is there a higher interest or a higher incidence of myocarditis among adolescent males 16 to 24 after taking your vaccine?”
Bancel:
“First, let me say we care deeply about safety and we are working closely with the CDC and the FDA.”
Paul: “Pretty much a yes or no,” Paul said. “Is there a higher incidence of myocarditis among boys 16 to 24 after they take your vaccine?”
“The data I’ve shown, actually, I’ve seen, sorry, from the CDC, actually shown that there’s less myocarditis for people who get the vaccine versus who get COVID infection,” Bancel noted.
A clearly shocked Paul asked, “You’re saying that for ages 16 to 24 among males who take the COVID vaccine, their risk of myocarditis is less than people who get the disease?”
Bancel confirmed what he had just said, “That is my understanding, Senator.”
Taken aback and looking as if Bancel had just slapped him, Paul exclaimed:
“That is not true. And I’d like to enter into the record six peer-reviewed papers from the Journal of Vaccine, the Annals of Medicine that say the complete opposite of what you say.”
According to the CDC, Bancel is right and Paul is (as usual) wrong, reporting, Myocarditis and pericarditis have rarely been reported.