TrialSite recently covered reports of a surge of cases of acute hepatitis in children. There is no confirmed cause as of present. Recently interviewed on Fox’s Laura Ingraham show, Dr. Peter McCullough reports this acute liver inflammation (hepatitis) could be associated with the COVID-19 vaccine. Fact-checkers were quickly mobilized to dismiss and discredit the prominent, yet much-attacked physician during COVID-19. McCullough has been an outspoken critic calling out some of the challenges with the COVID-19 vaccine while evangelizing for early treatment of COVID-19 patients with known approved repurposed drugs. Yet McCullough didn’t claim any absolute connection—he implied it was possible, based on his reading of a few recent studies. In the meantime, other explanations are put forth in the UK and elsewhere.
During this recent interview, Laura Ingraham shared a recent study from Germany suggesting COVID-19 vaccination can elicit what’s known as a distinct T cell dominant hepatitis. Led by Corresponding Author Dr. Bertram Bengsch, employed at the prestigious Freiberg University in the Black Forest area of Germany, the authors concluded that “COVID-19 vaccination can elicit a distinct T cell-dominant immune-mediated hepatitis with a unique pathomechanism associated with vaccination-induced antigen-specific tissue-resident immunity requiring systemic immunosuppression.”
But what does this mean for the layperson? According to Dr. McCullough, we now have at least some data to review to possibly help inform a better understanding of the pediatric hepatitis cases including:
Marsh et al (Public Health Scotland)
Boettler et al - SARS-CoV-2 vaccination can elicit a CD8 T-cell dominant hepatitis - PMC (nih.gov)
The Texas-based cardiologist shared for the Fox viewers that “COVID-19 vaccination can trigger acute hepatitis of a variety of mechanisms, one being autoimmune, but the fatal case that was reported by Lenson was actually a reactivation of hepatitis C of an elderly individual. So, the spike protein in the respiratory illness and then super loaded in the vaccine could be the culprit.”
McCullough tweeted recently that “75% of children C-recovered, probably this exposure at baseline with an adeno-roto-,entero-or other virus is triggering these cases of hepatitis. It appears serious, with jaundice, hospitalization, and at least one case needing a transplant.”
TrialSite notes here McCullough doesn’t absolutely declare that the cause of the hepatitis in the children is the vaccine but rather suggests that it could be connected.” See his Twitter page.
Another possible explanation proposed by medical professionals in the UK is that due to COVID-19 lockdowns and school closures, that children, especially those ages five years old and younger, were not exposed to adenovirus, thus leaving them with increased susceptibility to more severe complications from the virus.
Dr. Meera Chand, head of infectious diseases at the UK Health Security Agency reported that medical professionals are indeed, seeing something very unusual, especially for the younger age groups. Speaking at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, she declared, “But we have a co-factor affecting a particular age group of young children, which is rendering that infection (adenovirus) more severe or causing it to trigger some kind of immunopathology.” She continued, “Co-factors include a lack of prior exposure of that particular age group during the formative stages they’ve gone through during the pandemic.”
Regarding Dr. McCullough, fact-checkers were quick to respond with dismissal and the usual ad hominem attacks (e.g., attacking the person rather than focusing on the data and premises). Khaya Himmelman, a journalist-- not a scientist or physician—declared for The Dispatch that Dr. McCullough, a “frequent purveyor of COVID-19 misinformation,” (an ad hominem attack) claimed the connection between the COVID-19 vaccine and hepatitis C. The journalist takes on Dr. McCullough, declaring that one of the referenced studies (Lenson mentioned above) “is based on one patient,” and the author acknowledged that they “cannot exclude a coincidental occurrence” of the condition. But of course, it could also not be a coincidence. The point here is that we do not know for certain yet.
The Dispatch received an email from Paul Offit the prominent virologist recently profiled by TrialSite who claimed that the study in question “is a coincidental not causal association.” Yet how can Offit be 100% certain?
Offit’s credibility in some ways becomes more questionable given his prominent role on the FDA’s VRBPAC (evaluating and authoring the vaccines for labeling), yet his willingness to essentially throw the CDC under the bus for faulty vaccine benefit messaging. It was Offit’s (and his VRBPAC colleagues) job to ensure the CDC understood the limitations of the vaccine (e.g., that it would not prevent viral transmission but rather lower the risk of severe infection, hospitalization, and death). Another commenter suggested McCullough isn’t a vaccinologist and wasn’t qualified to comment.
Dr. McCullough may or may not be correct, but the point here is that he references a handful of studies that potentially support the premise that perhaps there could be a connection between the COVID-19 vaccine and the recent pediatric hepatitis cases.
Scientific truth is based on a critical, methodical ongoing investigation into the data, the unfolding trends; not a continuous wave of ad hominem attacks along repeated denial that there is any truth to any of the vaccine critics for example. What’s behind the emergence of these pediatric hepatitis cases? TrialSite will continue to monitor the unfolding situation.