Landmark Analysis Dissolves 3 Major Myths About COVID Vaccine–Induced Myocarditis

By Nicolas Hulscher, MPH

A few months ago, the McCullough Foundation study authored by M. Nathaniel Mead, Jessica Rose, William Makis, Kirk Milhoan, Nicolas Hulscher (myself), and Peter A. McCullough, was published in the International Journal of Cardiovascular Research & Innovation: Myocarditis after SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination: Epidemiology, outcomes, and new perspectives:

In this episode of FOCAL POINTS, first author and McCullough Foundation Scholar M. Nathaniel Mead, MSc, PhD joins us to give a comprehensive overview of our landmark analysis that absolutely shatters the 3 common vaccine myocarditis myths perpetuated by our public health agencies:

Myth #1: Coronavirus Infections Cause More Myocarditis Than COVID-19 Vaccinations

* Young men (<40) were 6× more likely to develop myocarditis after the second Moderna (mRNA-1273) dose than after SARS-CoV-2 infection (97 vs. 16 cases per million)​.

* VAERS data show myocarditis reports were 223× higher following COVID-19 vaccination than the combined average for all other vaccines over the past 30 years, reflecting a 2500% increase​.

* From May 2021 to Nov 2024, 90% of case reports (241 out of 267) on PubMed identified mRNA vaccination—not SARS-CoV-2 infection—as the likely cause of myocarditis​.

* Infection-linked myocarditis estimates often relied on ICD-10 codes triggered by elevated cardiac troponins, which are non-specific markers and may result from other conditions (e.g., CAD, heart failure, or ICU-level stress).

* Troponin elevations were common among ICU COVID-19 patients and frequently misclassified as myocarditis without confirmatory imaging or biopsy.

* No histological confirmation (e.g., CMR or autopsy) is typically required for infection-linked myocarditis, while mRNA-associated cases are usually clinically confirmed.

* The CARES Act created financial incentives (~$76,000 per case) for hospitals to classify patients as COVID-positive, which, when combined with PCR false positives and troponin tests, likely inflated infection-related myocarditis stats.

* SARS-CoV-2 infection incidence is grossly undercounted due to asymptomatic or undocumented cases, leading to inflated myocarditis rates per infection (small denominator problem).

Myth #2: COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Myocarditis is Usually Mild and Transient

* Prospective studies (Thailand, Switzerland) found 2.3%–2.8% of recipients had myocardial inflammation or injury post-mRNA dose—1 in 35 to 1 in 43, far exceeding passive surveillance estimates​.

* In the Swiss cohort, 2.8% showed subclinical myocardial injury after a Moderna booster; median age was 46, and half were asymptomatic, meaning these cases would escape detection in VAERS or EHR-based studies.

* CDC-confirmed cases (VAERS, Dec 2020–June 2021): 96% of patients were hospitalized for myocarditis following mRNA vaccination​.

* Autopsy-confirmed myoc