A growing number of commercial airline pilots and advocacy groups representing aviation industry workers are speaking out on injuries from the Covid vaccine that include myocarditis and pericarditis, heart attacks, strokes and subsequent blindness, a report said.
"According to these individuals and groups, the number of pilots speaking out about their vaccine injuries is dwarfed by the number of pilots who are still flying despite experiencing concerning symptoms — but not speaking out because of what they describe as a culture of intimidation within the aviation industry," independent journalist Michael Nevradakis wrote for The Defender on June 17.
"These individuals fear they will lose their jobs and livelihoods in retaliation if they reveal their symptoms or go public with their stories."
Steven Hornsby, a 52-year-old pilot with a legacy passenger airline company, said that 12 days after he received his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine he was driving with family when he felt sharp chest pains, “pain radiating through my left arm, and my heart rate spiked as if beating in my neck.”
Hornsby told The Defender that it took several different diagnoses from doctors and medical practitioners to make a connection between his health issues and the vaccine.
It was only in December 2021, when his pilot medical certification was due for renewal, that his aeromedical examiner (AME) advised him to wear a Holter monitor (a type of portable ECG) for one week to monitor his heart.
“That is when I discovered that I had arrhythmia issues, heart palpitations and [an] irregular heart rate, which was occurring almost exclusively at night,” said Hornsby. “I reported back to my AME, who then told me I was grounded and that I should go find a good cardiologist and get healthy.”
The following month, another cardiologist diagnosed Hornsby with vaccine-induced myocarditis.
Hornsby said he’s “doing much better,” but he’s still not flying. He’s disappointed with the dismissive manner in which several doctors addressed his concerns.
“Had doctors been willing to view my case — and I suspect others — with an open mind, this could have been diagnosed much, much earlier,” he said. “Looking back, had my heart not been healthy, I would have surely died from cardiac arrest like you’re seeing in young athletes.”
Hornsby was once an active weightlifter and cyclist, biking 10-26 miles every other day. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and Operation Enduring Freedom. Per FAA requirements, he passed 24 medical exams in the past 12 years, including 12 electrocardiograms (ECGs).
Hornsby told The Defender: “I’ve never had any cardiovascular issues in my life, nor have I ever had any major health issues … I eat healthy and live what I believe to be a balanced lifestyle.”
Hornsby added that he is not currently flying because he was “coerced … to get the COVID-19 vaccine,” and his employer “made it very clear that all employees would be required to get it and that medical/religious exemptions would be very difficult to get.”
Other pilots with similar symptoms are still likely flying, Hornsby said: “I suspect there are many pilots flying around with minor and perhaps major issues. The vaccine is/was experimental and for good cause. No one knows the long-term effects.”
He added: “How many years have been shaved from my life? Will I develop scar tissue in my heart? Will I get cancer as a result? Has this trash degraded my immune system? Only God knows.”
Another commercial pilot, who spoke to The Defender on condition of anonymity, said: “I was experiencing chest pain, usually at night, almost like somebody had their hand around my heart and was squeezing. Generally, [the pain] would subside during the day, but … would appear occasionally out of nowhere and I would need to lie down. It would manifest as pain, but also like something was lodged deep in my esophagus, like I had a piece of food or air that was pressing upon my chest area.”
According to the pilot, his symptoms “began about a week after the second Moderna vaccination.
He said the airline he works for threatened to terminate anyone who didn’t get the vaccine. “I have a family to feed, so I was left with little choice.”
He said he is “on reserve” and not flying often. While his symptoms have recently subsided, he felt that “looking into further treatment would result in an answer that would be unfavorable to my medical [certification].”
Glen Waters, a pilot with 19 years experience who was terminated by Virgin Australia for refusing the Covid shot, is now advocating for other pilots.
Australia has a government-level vaccine mandate for airline crew and airport workers.
Waters spoke to The Defender on behalf of several pilots who are suffering from vaccine injuries.
According to Waters, “none of the pilots suffering from injuries are prepared to talk” because “the company is actively trying to terminate anyone reporting vaccine injury.”
Waters stated “there are several reasons injured pilots will not come forward,” including:
• “There is a stigma attached to anti-vaccine sentiment in any form.
• There is a reluctance on the part of the medical community to get involved with possible vaccine injuries.
• Vaccine makers will actively fight against injury claims.
• Insurance companies have distanced themselves from claims involving the vaccine.
• Pilots don’t want to lose their medical certifications, jobs or careers.
Waters said, of approximately 900 pilots flying with Virgin Australia, he is aware of nine who are no longer flying because of medical complications that could be linked to the vaccine.
“No doubt there are many more who are continuing to fly with troubling symptoms,” he said.
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