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Recently acquired data clearly shows an alarming spike in cardiovascular and neurological conditions amongst US military personnel starting in 2021, the first year COVID-19 vaccines were mandated for all branches of the US Armed Forces. Additionally, new evidence shows that as many as 598,000 service members may have experienced adverse events from the COVID-19 vaccines.
In 2021, ICAN attorneys successfully defended Army and Air Force service members who were denied religious exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine by military authorities. While these members were able to avoid vaccination, more than 98% of military personnel complied with the mandate. This had ICAN wondering: how many of these dedicated service members were injured by the vaccine?
To find out, ICAN’s attorneys made a FOIA request to the Department of Veterans Affairs, asking for a detailed account of disability compensation claims made by service members—active, reserve, and National Guard—during the period of 2015–2019. With numbers from January 2020–August 2024 already in hand, the pre-COVID-19 vaccine data would offer a meaningful baseline for comparison.
As you can see, the data reflects a worrying increase in myocarditis and pericarditis, as well as encephalitis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and other illnesses starting in 2021, a rise mirrored across active-duty personnel, reservists, and National Guard members. As we know, both myocarditis and pericarditis can cause debilitating cardiac damage, reducing a formerly healthy individual to near incapacitated status. Other conditions reported include brachial neuritis, transverse myelitis, thrombocytopenia purpura, and intussusception.
ICAN additionally discovered via FOIA that between December 2020 and December 2025, there were 5,980 VAERS reports submitted on behalf of members of the military (Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve) for adverse events resulting from COVID-19 vaccines. By one estimate, fewer than 1% of vaccine adverse events are reported. If that holds true, then the actual number of military members who suffered an adverse event after receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine could be as high as 598,000—which is approximately 29% of the entire military population as of 2025!
Recall the assertion of then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin from November 3, 2021, who claimed: “It is my assessment—after consulting with senior leaders here—that the Department will incur nominal attrition due to individuals refusing COVID-19 vaccination.” While there were certainly some service members who declined the shot, it appears that forcing the vaccine on healthy members may have caused a significantly greater disruption to military readiness through vaccine injury.
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