Deep Venous Thrombosis of the Arm

COVID-19 Vaccine Consent Form Conceals Clotting Risks and Locations

I was surprised one day in clinic when a previously healthy woman in her 60’s told me she had developed a blood clot in her left arm and had to undergo emergency thrombectomy to remove the blood clot.  She is an avid swimmer and her exercise intensity had not changed for decades.  The only new medical issue was the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in the same arm five months ago.   She underwent a workup and was diagnosed with thoracic outlet obstruction syndrome (TOS) which required a first rib removal to allow enough venous flow back from the arm to the thorax.   I told her at the time I did not think this was related to the COVID-19 vaccine since TOS alone can result in thromboses.   However, if any procoagulant stimulus is new in the body, it could be the triggering factor clotting when there is a limitation in flow (TOS) or in the setting of a genetic hypercoagulable state.  Around the same time, we heard the story of Nelly Korda.  Korda won four times on the LPGA in 2021 as well as Olympic gold in Tokyo and was named Female Player of the Year by the Golf Writers Association of America.  She’s currently the second-best female golfer in the world—you guessed it—a blood clot in the arm.  There was secrecy around the cause of the blood clot:  “When asked if doctors had given her any indication on the cause of the blood clot, Korda said yes, but that she’d like to keep that information private.”  Details in her case were obviously not further disclosed, but she did not come out and say she was unvaccinated.[i] 

What convinced me these events were related to COVID-19 vaccination was a paper from Bhan et al, who described a 27 year old woman who three days after taking the second Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in the right deltoid developed a right arm deep venous thrombosis.[ii] 

This time there was no TOS or other etiology as a primary explanation.   There are now a multitude of studies reporting on the thrombogenicity of the Spike protein generated in large quantities after all of the genetic COVID-19 vaccines.   The US Department of Defense, which is the entity responsible for the development of the EUA COVID-19 vaccines has not updated the consent forms with the wide variety of thromboses that can occur with the shots.[iii]  The vaccine manufacturers and the US FDA obviously do not feel it is their role to better inform the public with a DOD vaccine.  Thus my patient, Nelly Korda, and the woman in the report by Bhan were all blindsided by this potentially life threatening side effect.  In each case it will take prolonged blood thinners, surgery for two of them, and the threat of recurrence and permanent disability or inability to return to sports.   When it comes to the Declaration of Helsinki and full informed consent, Americans are on their own to learn about side effects—many times the hard way.  Next time you see your doctor, ask if you are at risk for blood clots (age, history, family history, birth control pills, orthopedic problems, sports) with COVID-19 vaccination.   A casual “it’s safe” without much thought is a red flag and should prompt a few more questions.

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[i] Golfweek: Nelly Korda opens up on the funny feeling that sidelined her for months. May 31, 2022 1:33 pm ET

[ii] Bhan C, Bheesham N, Shakuntulla F, Sharma M, Sun C, Weinstein M. An unusual presentation of acute deep vein thrombosis after the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine-a case report. Ann Transl Med. 2021 Oct;9(20):1605. doi: 10.21037/atm-21-2772. PMID: 34790811; PMCID: PMC8576696.

[iii] Statement From HHS and DOD on FDA Emergency Use Authorization of a COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Dec. 11, 2020