Category: Vaccine

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a writ of certiorari of a challenge to a Connecticut public act that prohibited religious exemptions from vaccine requirements in schools.

PlaintiffsWe The Patriots USA Inc. and CT Freedom Alliance LLC, Constantina Lora, Miriam Hidalgo and Asma Elidrissisued the Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Development,Connecticut Department of Public Health, and the Connecticut, Bethel, Glastonbury and Stamford boards of education infederal court in 2021.

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'End of the Road'? SCOTUS Won't Hear Challenge to Connecticut Vaccine Law | Connecticut Law Tribune - Law.com

Americas reputation has been bruised in many parts of the world due to its actions, from destabilising uncooperative governments, overruling the mandate of newly elected foreign leaders and, in extreme cases, invading other countries.

The actions of Russia and China, for instance, help to show that while Americas reach and means may be unique among so-called global powers, its inability to mind its own business is sadly typical.

According to the June 14 Reuters report, the secretive initiative, launched in the waning days of the Trump administration, intended to erode confidence among the Philippine public towards vaccines not just Chinese-made Sinovac jabs but vaccines in general. COVID came from China and the VACCINE also came from China, dont trust China! one such tweet read in Tagalog.

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WHO approves Sinovac Biotechs coronavirus vaccine for emergency use

WHO approves Sinovac Biotechs coronavirus vaccine for emergency use

They may also argue that the efficacy of Chinese-made vaccines was less than worthy of confidence, and that China is in no position to decry others use of disinformation campaigns.

Furthermore, there are real concerns about how useful the Sinovac jab was, with Singapores National Centre for Infectious Diseases, for instance, saying its efficacy trailed far behind that of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

But the issues related to Chinese-made vaccines and efforts to misinform the public in the Philippines are among the reasons the alleged US covert campaign was a mistake.

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Why is the Philippines aligning itself with the US after years of close China ties under Duterte

Why is the Philippines aligning itself with the US after years of close China ties under Duterte

Also, the US could have placed its trust in the ingenuity of its scientists to produce a better vaccine than Chinas the Singaporean centres report evaluated the Sinovac vaccines efficacy against severe disease at just 60 per cent, compared to Modernas 97 per cent and Pfizers 90 per cent.

A realist argument for efforts to undermine China and its vaccines in the Philippines therefore fails due to a lack of, well, realism, as Beijings actions and methods would have accomplished that on its own.

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Philippines seeks expulsion of Beijing diplomats over South China Sea wiretapping controversy

Philippines seeks expulsion of Beijing diplomats over South China Sea wiretapping controversy

Furthermore, whatever one thinks of the Sinovac jab, it is simply unconscionable for a US administration to undermine public confidence in a partner country towards vaccination. Even a 60-per-cent-effective vaccine would have constituted an improvement in 2020 and 2021, when Covid-19 infections were claiming thousands of lives daily. In the Philippines alone, more than 60,000 would die of the disease before the worst had passed.

Unfortunately, its alleged covert campaign might also have contributed to a vaccine hesitancy in Philippines that is higher than its neighbours. The bad press will probably outlive Trump, while attempts to paint it as a Trump-era policy will probably count for little, given the overarching continuity in US policy towards China, with tariffs, prohibitions on tech cooperation and expansions of security partnerships designed to rein in Chinas ambitions.

Those of us who still support a US-led world order should encourage better from our leaders, including a possible second Trump administration. US-led efforts to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific depend on Washingtons ability to build partnerships in the region a willingness to put lives in other countries at risk is poison for such partnerships.

Rob York is programme director for regional affairs at the Pacific Forum

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Opinion | No good reason for US to spread anti-vax rumours in the Philippines - South China Morning Post

WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Monday rejected two appeals related to COVID-19 vaccines from Childrens Health Defense, the anti-vaccine nonprofit founded by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The justices did not comment in letting stand rulings against the group from the federal appeals courts in New Orleans and Philadelphia.

In a case from Texas, the group joined parents in objecting to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations authorization to administer coronavirus vaccines to children. In a case from New Jersey, Children's Health Defense challenged a Rutgers University requirement, imposed in 2021, for most students to be vaccinated to attend courses on campus, though the school did not force faculty or staff to be vaccinated.

Children's Health Defense has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.

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Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

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Supreme Court rejects COVID-19 vaccine appeals from nonprofit founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - AOL

WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a challenge to a 2021 Connecticut law that eliminated the states longstanding religious exemption from childhood immunization requirements for schools, colleges, and day-care facilities.

The justices did not comment in leaving in place a federal appeals court ruling that upheld the contentious law. A lower court judge had earlier dismissed the lawsuit challenging the law, which drew protests at the state Capitol.

Connecticut law requires students to receive certain immunizations before enrolling in school, allowing some medical exemptions. Before 2021, students also could seek religious exemptions. Lawmakers ended the religious exemption over concerns that an increase in exemption requests was coupled with a decline in vaccination rates in some schools.

The change allowed current students in K-12 who already had a religious exemption to keep it.

This is the end of the road to a challenge to Connecticuts life-saving and fully lawful vaccine requirements, Attorney General William Tong said in a statement. We have said all along, and the courts have affirmed, the Legislature acted responsibly and well within its authority to protect the health of Connecticut families and to stop the spread of preventable disease.

Brian Festa, vice president for the group We The Patriots USA Inc., a lead plaintiff in the case, called the decision disappointing but said its not the end of the road for us in our fight to win back religious exemptions for schoolchildren.

The group which has challenged other vaccination laws, including for COVID-19 had joined several parents in arguing that Connecticut violated religious freedom protections by removing the exemption. The new law shows a hostility to religious believers and jeopardizes their rights to medical freedom and childrearing, they said in court papers.

We The Patriots USA also has an ongoing federal lawsuit filed on behalf of a Christian preschool and day care thats challenging Connecticuts vaccine mandate on constitutional grounds.

It is our practice at We The Patriots USA to battle on many fronts simultaneously, and to never put all of our eggs in one basket, Festa said, calling the Supreme Courts decision on Monday one setback, but far from a total defeat.

Justices on Monday also rejected two appeals related to COVID-19 vaccines from Childrens Health Defense, the antivaccine nonprofit founded by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The justices did not comment in letting stand rulings against the group from the federal appeals courts in New Orleans and Philadelphia.

In a case from Texas, the group joined parents in objecting to the Food and Drug Administrations authorization to administer coronavirus vaccines to children. In a case from New Jersey, Childrens Health Defense challenged a Rutgers University requirement, imposed in 2021, for most students to be vaccinated to attend courses on campus, though the school did not force faculty or staff to be vaccinated.

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Supreme Court rejects challenge to Conn. law that eliminated religious vaccination exemption - The Boston Globe

Army linked soldier's heart condition to COVID vaccine, former CBS News journalist reports

by JACKSON WALKER | The National Desk

Karoline Stancik and{ }Catherine Herridge (Credit:{ }Catherine Herridge)

WASHINGTON (TND)

The U.S. Army and National Guard acknowledged a soldiers debilitating heart condition is connected to the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a new report by former CBS reporter Catherine Herridge.

Army National Guard Specialist Karoline Stancik, 24, has reportedly racked up over $70,000 in medical debt after being hospitalized for heart complications. She suffered her first heart attack after receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

An Army memo about Stanciks situation acquired by Herridge shows she had been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or "POTS." Stancik described having intense adverse reactions to her vaccinations, including high heart rate, neuropathic pain and difficulty breathing.

She was released from active duty in 2022, costing her medical benefits and a salary.

The effects she experienced were so detrimental to her health, Stancik said, that she considered suicide. She now requires a pacemaker and heart surgery.

Stancik is now being represented by USJAG, an advocacy organization for soldiers injured in the lie of duty. Veterans Advocate Jeremy Sorenson told The National Desk (TND) the case represents a larger trend of removing benefits from injured troops as a cost-saving measure within the Department of Defense.

"Our country has a responsibility to take care of our injured service members," he added. "[Branches of the military] ignore the Department of Defense instructions, they ignore federal law and they make policies and they make determinations that are wholesale illegal."

An Army spokesperson reportedly told Herridge that Stancik could have remained on active duty while receiving treatment. She denied having ever been counseled about this option.

Neither the Pentagon nor Moderna responded to a request for comment from TND Monday.

The GOP side of the House Judiciary Committee applauded Herridge's return to journalism in a post on X Monday afternoon, claiming the "Left tried to silence" her. Herridge was laid off from CBS News in February.

Follow Jackson Walker on X at @_jlwalker_ for the latest trending national news. Have a news tip? Send it to jacwalker@sbgtv.com.

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Army linked soldier's heart condition to COVID vaccine, former CBS News journalist reports - WEAR

GAITHERSBURG, Md., June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Novavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX), a global company advancing protein-based vaccines with its Matrix-M adjuvant, today announced that it has filed for a type II variation of existing Marketing Authorization with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for its JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine (NVX-CoV2705) for individuals aged 12 and older. The submission is in line with guidance from EMA and theWorld Health Organization to target the JN.1 lineage this fall.1,2

"Novavax is working closely with European markets seeking to offer a protein-based alternative to mRNA this fall for COVID-19 vaccination," said John C. Jacobs, President and Chief Executive Officer, Novavax. "Our updated COVID-19 vaccine is active against current circulating strains, including KP.2 and KP.3."

Nonclinical data have demonstrated that Novavax's JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine induces broad neutralization responses to JN.1 lineage viruses, including those containing the F456L and R346T mutations, and to "FLiRT" and "FLuQE" variants.2-4 Novavax's vaccine also produces conserved polyfunctional, Th1-biased CD4+ T cell responses to a range of JN.1 lineage variants.2 Novavax's JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine targets the "parent strain" of KP.2 and KP.3.2

Novavax intends to have its vaccine in unit-dose vials available for distribution in the European Union for immediate release post-approval. Novavax has also filedwith the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is working with other regulatory authorities globally on authorization or approval of its JN.1 COVID-19 vaccine.

About the Novavax COVID-19 2024-2025 Formula (NVX-CoV2705)NVX-CoV2705 is an updated version of Novavax's prototype COVID-19 vaccine (NVX-CoV2373) formulated to target the JN.1 variant. It is a protein-based vaccine made by creating copies of the surface spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. With Novavax's unique recombinant nanoparticle technology, the non-infectious spike protein serves as the antigen that primes the immune system to recognize the virus, while Novavax's Matrix-M adjuvant enhances and broadens the immune response. The vaccine is packaged as a ready-to-use liquid formulation and is stored at 2 to 8C, enabling the use of existing vaccine supply and cold chain channels.

About Matrix-M Adjuvant When added to vaccines, Novavax's patented saponin-based Matrix-M adjuvant enhances the immune system response, making it broader and more durable. The Matrix-M adjuvant stimulates the entry of antigen-presenting cells at the injection site and enhances antigen presentation in local lymph nodes.

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About NovavaxNovavax, Inc. (Nasdaq: NVAX) promotes improved health by discovering, developing and commercializing innovative vaccines to help protect against serious infectious diseases. Novavax, a global company based in Gaithersburg, Md., U.S., offers a differentiated vaccine platform that combines a recombinant protein approach, innovative nanoparticle technology and Novavax's patented Matrix-M adjuvant to enhance the immune response. The Company's portfolio includes its COVID-19 vaccine and its pipeline includes a vaccine for COVID-19 and influenza combined. In addition, Novavax's adjuvant is included in the University of Oxford and Serum Institute of India's R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine. Please visit novavax.comand LinkedInfor more information.

Forward-Looking StatementsStatements herein relating to the future of Novavax, its operating plans and prospects, the immunogenic response of its vaccine technology against variant strains and the scope, timing and outcome of future regulatory filings and actions, including any EMA or FDA recommendations, the intention to be ready to deliver a JN.1 protein-based COVID-19 vaccine this fall, are forward-looking statements. Novavax cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, antigenic drift or shift in the SARS-CoV2 spike protein, challenges satisfying, alone or together with partners, various safety, efficacy and product characterization requirements, including those related to process qualification and assay validation, necessary to satisfy applicable regulatory authorities; difficulty obtaining scarce raw materials and supplies; resource constraints, including human capital and manufacturing capacity, on the ability of Novavax to pursue planned regulatory pathways; challenges or delays in obtaining regulatory authorization for a JN.1 protein-based COVID-19 vaccine or for future COVID-19 variant strain changes; challenges or delays in clinical trials; manufacturing, distribution or export delays or challenges; Novavax's exclusive dependence on Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. for co-formulation and filling and the impact of any delays or disruptions in their operations on the delivery of customer orders; and those other risk factors identified in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of Novavax's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this press release. You are encouraged to read our filings with the SEC, available at http://www.sec.govand http://www.novavax.com, for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this document, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any of the statements. Our business is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including those referenced above. Investors, potential investors, and others should give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties.

Contacts:InvestorsErika Schultz 240-268-2022 ir@novavax.com

MediaGiovanna Chandler 240-720-7804 media@novavax.com

References

European Medicines Agency. ETF recommends updating COVID-19 vaccines to target new JN.1 variant. April 30, 2024. Available at:https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/etf-recommends-updating-covid-19-vaccines-target-new-jn1-variant

World Health Organization. Statement on the antigen composition of COVID-19 vaccines. April 26, 2024. Available at:https://www.who.int/news/item/26-04-2024-statement-on-the-antigen-composition-of-covid-19-vaccines

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Variant Proportions [Data set]. In COVID Data Tracker. 2024. Available at:https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions

Focosi D, Spezia PG, Gueli F, Maggi F. The Era of the FLips: How Spike Mutations L455F and F456L (and A475V) Are Shaping SARS-CoV-2 Evolution.Viruses. 2023;16(1):3. Published 2023 Dec 19. doi:10.3390/v16010003.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novavax-submits-application-to-european-medicines-agency-for-updated-protein-based-2024-2025-formula-covid-19-vaccine-302180323.html

SOURCE Novavax, Inc.

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Novavax Submits Application to European Medicines Agency for Updated Protein-based 2024-2025 Formula COVID ... - Yahoo Finance

ABUJA: Yunusa Bawa spends a lot of time talking about the vaccine for the human papillomavirus that is responsible for nearly all cases of cervical cancer. But on most days, only two or three people allow their daughters to be vaccinated in the rural part of Nigeria where he works. The challenge in Sabo community, on the outskirts of the capital of Abuja, is the unfounded rumor that the HPV vaccine will later keep young girls from giving birth. The rumor is too much, said Bawa, 42. As more African countries strive to administer more HPV vaccines, Bawa and other health workers tackle challenges that slow progress, particularly misinformation about the vaccine. The World Health Organization's Africa office estimates that about 25% of the population still has doubts about it reflecting concerns seen in some other parts of the world in early campaigns for the vaccine. A common sexually transmitted virus, HPV can cause cervical cancer, certain other cancers and genital warts. In most cases, the virus doesnt cause any problems, but some infections persist and eventually lead to cancer. Across Africa, an average of 190 women died daily from cervical cancer in 2020, accounting for 23% of the deaths globally and making it the leading cancer killer among women in the WHO Africa region of 47 countries. Eighteen of the 20 countries with the highest rate of cervical cancer cases in the world are in Africa. Yet the region's HPV vaccination rate has been low. More than half of Africa's 54 nations 28 have introduced the vaccine in their immunization programs, but only five have reached the 90% coverage that the continent hopes to achieve by 2030. Across the region, 33% of young girls have been vaccinated with HPV. It's a stark contrast to most European countries, where both girls and boys have been receiving HPV shots. Part of why Africa has a high burden of cervical cancer is because of limited access to screening for women, said Emily Kobayashi, head of the HPV Program at the vaccines alliance Gavi. The elimination strategy is a long game ... but we know that vaccination is the strongest pillar and one of the easiest to implement, Kobayashi said. But it is one thing to introduce the vaccine, but if the vaccine remains in the fridge, it doesnt prevent cervical cancer, said Charles Shey Wiysonge, head of the vaccine-preventable diseases program in the WHOs Africa region. He said information must be provided by people who are trusted, people who are close to the communities." There is a long history of vaccine hesitancy in many African countries that is sometimes linked to a lack of trust in government, as one study published in the Nature science journal in May found, giving room for conspiracy theories and misinformation from social media influencers and religious leaders. In Zimbabwe, where cervical cancer is the most frequent cancer among women, a group of mostly women known as Village Health Workers have been trained to raise awareness about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine in rural areas. But they fight a high level of hesitancy among religious sects that discourage followers from modern medicines, asking them to rely instead on prayers and anointed water and stones. The women who eventually agree to be screened for cervical cancer do so in secret, said Zanele Ndlovu, one of the health workers on the outskirts of Bulawayo city. For a deeply religious country like Zimbabwe, the spiritual leaders have so much influence that a lot of our time is taken trying to educate people about the safety of vaccines, or that they are not ungodly, Ndlovu said. There are also success stories in Africa where authorities have achieved up to a 90% vaccination rate. One example is Ethiopia, which relies heavily on religious leaders, teachers and hotline workers. In Rwanda, the first African country to implement a national HPV vaccination program in 2011, the coverage rate has reached 90%. Hesitancy is less of an issue due to vigorous awareness work that has relied on school-based campaigns and community outreach programs, said Dr. Theoneste Maniragaba, director of the cancer program at Rwanda Biomedical Center. Mozambique has deployed school-based programs, a door-to-door approach and mobile outreach for girls in hard-to-reach areas that has helped it reach 80% coverage rate with the first of two doses. In Tanzania, where the HPV vaccine has been in use since at least 2018, authorities in April launched a campaign to target over 5 million girls and further raise coverage, which has reached 79% of girls with the first dose. One of Africas largest HPV vaccination drives targeting girls recently kicked off in Nigeria, which has procured nearly 15 million doses with the help of the U.N. childrens agency. It will target girls aged 914 with single doses that the WHO's African immunization advisory group has said is as effective as the regular two doses. One challenge is explaining the HPV vaccination to girls ahead of the onset of sexual activity, especially in conservative societies, said Dr. Aisha Mustapha, a gynecologist in northern Kaduna state. Mustapha has been successfully treated for cervical cancer. She said the experience helps in her meetings with religious leaders and in community outreach programs in Kaduna, where she leads the Medical Women Association of Nigeria. They try to make the girls feel comfortable and understand why the vaccine is important, she said. That sometimes requires comic books and lots of singing. The (cervical) cancer is no respecter of any identity, she said. The vaccine is available, it is free, it is safe and effective.

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More African nations focus on HPV vaccination against cervical cancer, but hesitancy remains - The Times of India

WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Monday rejected two appeals related to covid-19 vaccines from Childrens Health Defense, the anti-vaccine nonprofit founded by independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The justices did not comment in letting stand rulings against the group from the federal appeals courts in New Orleans and Philadelphia.

In a case from Texas, the group joined parents in objecting to the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations authorization to administer coronavirus vaccines to children. In a case from New Jersey, Childrens Health Defense challenged a Rutgers University requirement, imposed in 2021, for most students to be vaccinated to attend courses on campus, though the school did not force faculty or staff to be vaccinated.

Childrens Health Defense has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about covid and covid vaccines. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.

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Supreme Court rejects covid vaccine appeals from nonprofit founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - TribLIVE

Donald Trump vowed at a rally Tuesday that if reelected, hell cut funding to every school with a vaccine mandate even though all 50 states have such laws on the books.

I will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or a mask mandate, he declared at his rally in Racine, Wisconsin. The crowd went wild.

Its a promise hes made several times in recent months, repeating the same line verbatim at rallies in MarchandMay.

If he followed through on that, no school in the United States would receive federal funding. All 50 states and Washington, D.C.,have laws requiring specific vaccines for students, including measles, rubella, chickenpox, tetanus, pertussis and polio. Exemptions to the rule vary by state, with California, New York and a handful of other states maintaining the strictest mandates.

Public health experts credit those vaccine requirements with eradicating diseases that once killed thousands of people a year. Polio, a disease that infected, paralyzed or killed nearly 60,000 American children in 1952 alone, has been completely wiped out in the U.S. thanks to mass vaccination programs.

JIM WATSON via Getty Images

Trumps campaign did not immediately respond to questions about which vaccines he was referring to. Months earlier, his spokespeople said he was only referring to schools COVID-19 vaccine mandates. But hes declined to make that distinction during his speeches, including at Tuesdays rally a decision that panders to his partys anti-vaccine crowd.

A growing faction of conservatives have begun questioning the safety of vaccines in recent years, despite the intense scientific scrutiny they undergo before the public receives them, and a dearth of evidence that they have any lasting adverse side-effects. A Politico/Morning Consult poll found last year that while vaccine skepticism was about equal among both Democrats and Republicans before 2020, more than half of Republicansnow say they care more about the potential health risks of vaccines than the benefits.

Though he once took credit for the development of COVID-19 vaccines, Trump has since scaled back his endorsement of them and vaccines in general. Last month, he even attacked independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., one of the most prominent voices in the anti-vaccine movement, as not being anti-vaccine enough.

Republicans, get it out of your mind that youre going to vote for this guy because hes conservative. Hes not. And by the way, he said the other night that vaccines are fine, Trump said in a video posted to social media. He said it on a show, a television show, that vaccines are fine. Hes all for them. And thats what he said. And for those of you that want to vote because you think hes an anti-vaxxer, hes not really an anti-vaxxer.

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Trump Makes Bizarre Threat About Schools And Vaccine Mandates - HuffPost

Army linked soldier's heart condition to COVID vaccine, former CBS News journalist reports

by JACKSON WALKER | The National Desk

Karoline Stancik and{ }Catherine Herridge (Credit:{ }Catherine Herridge)

WASHINGTON (TND)

The U.S. Army and National Guard acknowledged a soldiers debilitating heart condition is connected to the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a new report by former CBS reporter Catherine Herridge.

Army National Guard Specialist Karoline Stancik, 24, has reportedly racked up over $70,000 in medical debt after being hospitalized for heart complications. She suffered her first heart attack after receiving the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

An Army memo about Stanciks situation acquired by Herridge shows she had been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or "POTS." Stancik described having intense adverse reactions to her vaccinations, including high heart rate, neuropathic pain and difficulty breathing.

She was released from active duty in 2022, costing her medical benefits and a salary.

The effects she experienced were so detrimental to her health, Stancik said, that she considered suicide. She now requires a pacemaker and heart surgery.

Stancik is now being represented by USJAG, an advocacy organization for soldiers injured in the lie of duty. Veterans Advocate Jeremy Sorenson told The National Desk (TND) the case represents a larger trend of removing benefits from injured troops as a cost-saving measure within the Department of Defense.

"Our country has a responsibility to take care of our injured service members," he added. "[Branches of the military] ignore the Department of Defense instructions, they ignore federal law and they make policies and they make determinations that are wholesale illegal."

An Army spokesperson reportedly told Herridge that Stancik could have remained on active duty while receiving treatment. She denied having ever been counseled about this option.

Neither the Pentagon nor Moderna responded to a request for comment from TND Monday.

The GOP side of the House Judiciary Committee applauded Herridge's return to journalism in a post on X Monday afternoon, claiming the "Left tried to silence" her. Herridge was laid off from CBS News in February.

Follow Jackson Walker on X at @_jlwalker_ for the latest trending national news. Have a news tip? Send it to jacwalker@sbgtv.com.

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Army linked soldier's heart condition to COVID vaccine, former CBS News journalist reports - NBC Montana