Tucker Carlson has claimed healthy young people are more likely to be harmed by the vaccine than by COVID-19, as he slammed US colleges and universities for demanding proof of inoculation among returning students.
The Fox News host accused the Biden administration Thursday night of refusing to mention ‘the downside of vaccination’ after the Centers for Disease Control announced it was looking into higher than expected reports of heart inflammation in young people after receiving the Pfizer or Moderna shots.
CDC bosses said 226 viable cases had been reported – mainly affecting teenage boys and young men after their second dose of the shot.
Reports are extremely rare and it is not clear if the heart inflammation is being caused by the vaccine.
More than 130 million Americans have received the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which require two doses spaced three or four weeks apart.
Tucker Carlson has claimed healthy young people are more likely to be harmed by the vaccine than by COVID-19, as he slammed US colleges and universities for demanding proof of inoculation among returning students
The Centers for Disease Control announced Thursday it was looking into higher than expected reports of heart inflammation in young people after receiving the Pfizer or Moderna shots
Carlson pointed to the CDC announcement and similar findings by Israel’s Health Ministry as he said it would be a ‘disaster’ if the risks of the vaccine turned out to be greater than the threat of COVID-19 among young people.
‘It’s possible that healthy young people will much more likely to be harmed by the vaccine, than by COVID itself,’ he claimed.
‘That would be a disaster. In fact, it would be the definition of a preventable disaster.’
Carlson, who has repeatedly dodged questions around whether or not he has been vaccinated, claimed people are ‘lying’ if they say they know what long-term impact the vaccine will have on young people.
‘What are the long-term effects of forcing these drugs on millions of young people, many of whom don’t need it?’ he said.
‘We don’t know the answer. We don’t know what the long-term effects are. Anyone who claims to know is lying. At this point, there’s literally no way to tell.’
He took aim at universities and colleges who have said students must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to come back to their campuses this fall – a move he said has left students with ‘no choice but to take a drug other governments have concluded is dangerous for them to take.’
Several US colleges including Brown University, Rutgers University and Nova Southeastern University have announced COVID-19 vaccination requirements for returning students coming back for in-person tuition in recent months.
In some institutions, the rules apply only to students with vaccines not mandated for faculty and staff.
Carlson took aim at colleges who have said students must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to come back to their campuses this fall – a move he said has left students with ‘no choice but to take a drug other governments have concluded is dangerous for them to take’
‘In just the last week, many American colleges and universities have announced they’ll require proof of vaccination before they allow students to return to campus,’ Carlson said.
‘At some schools, the mandate applies only to students.
‘For reasons no one has explained, or could possibly defend, it does not apply to faculty and staff. They’re not required to be vaccinated.’
Carlson said around 20 million young people have been left with ‘no escape’ from getting the vaccine if they want to return to college for their education.
‘As for the huge number of young people who have already recovered from COVID — and therefore likely have more robust immunity, at least as robust as they could get from any vaccine — they will be required to get the shot too,’ he said.
‘These are big numbers. There are close to 20 million college students in this country.
Several US colleges including Brown University (above) announced COVID-19 vaccination requirements for returning students in recent months
‘In the end, most will have no choice but to take a drug other governments have concluded is dangerous for them to take.’
He added: ‘It is no longer your body, it is no longer your choice. When it comes to the vaccine, there is no escape.’
Carlson accused Joe Biden of refusing to pay attention to the risks of the vaccine, and instead telling people to ‘shut up and take the shot.’
He played footage of the president reassuring the public the vaccine is safe.
‘The bottom line is this – I promise you: They are safe. They are safe. And even more importantly, they’re extremely effective,’ said Biden.
Carlson claimed that ‘if the numbers out of Israel turn out to be real and applicable to this country, that statement will live forever as one of the most destructive things a sitting president has ever said from a podium.’
A total of 226 viable cases of the heart inflammation have been reported after receiving the Pfizer of Moderna second shot
Israel said in early June that its research showed Pfizer’s vaccine is the ‘probable’ cause of heart inflammation in a very small number of people who get the jab.
The Health Ministry had found 148 cases of myocarditis soon after the patient had been vaccinated.
In total, 275 cases were spotted among the more than five million people given the Pfizer jab in Israel, which has had one of the world’s most successful jab rollouts.
In the remaining 127 cases, it is unclear if they are linked to the vaccine.
This was equivalent to just 0.005 per cent of recipients, or one in 20,000 people.
For the 148 cases ‘probably’ linked to the jab, the rate was 0.003 per cent – although half of them had other underlying health problems.
Young men aged 16 to 24 were most affected, with Israel concluding that one in 3000 and one in 6000 men in that age group developed the rare condition after receiving the vaccine.
Most cases were mild and resolved within a few weeks.
US health officials Thursday announced higher than expected reports of heart inflammation in male teens and young adults after getting their second doses.
CDC bosses called an emergency meeting for June 18 to discuss the cases – mainly affecting teenage boys and young men after their second dose of the shot.
A total of 226 cases have been reported that may meet the CDC’s ‘working case definition’ of myocarditis and pericarditis following the shots, the agency said.
Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis is inflammation of the outer lining of the heart.
Among the 226, three are in intensive care, 15 are hospitalized, and 41 have ongoing symptoms. The rest – 167 – have recovered.
It is not clear if either condition is caused by the shots and the reports of cases are extremely rare.
The CDC continues to urge everyone aged 12 and older to get vaccinated.
These types of heart inflammation can be caused by a variety of infections, including a bout of COVID-19, as well as certain medications.
There have been rare reports following other types of vaccinations in the past.