Remember when all the rage in the public square was over getting a COVID shot? (Ok, sorry if you’re still enraged …but I think a lot of people don’t even know where Anthony Fauci is anymore after his daily front-page appearances).

After thinking I maybe wouldn’t have to think about this again, I came across this news story, revealing that rising biathlete Sivert Guttorm Bakken had heart inflammation in May, “probably as a result of the COVID vaccine,” and has not been able to train normally for three months.

The article states, “The heart inflammation occurred after Bakken took his third dose of the corona vaccine. Then he had to scrap all planned physical training. That was in May, and the 24-year-old is still not back in physical training.”

In terms of vaccine effectiveness, the CDC states, “When BA.2/BA.2.12.1 became predominant, vaccine effectiveness with two doses was 24% against COVID-19-associated hospitalizations and increased to 52%–69% after a third/booster dose.” 

This is unfortunate. Here’s an athlete who, if he contracted COVID — which he is very likely to do even if he’s vaccinated, according to the CDC — would likely make a full and quick recovery. One could argue that getting COVID in and of itself poses an array of unknown after-effects, which is fair, but clearly, so does getting the vaccine. How can the cost-benefit analysis in this athlete’s case weigh in the favor of getting the jab?

Sadly, this isn’t the first time I’ve read of an elite athlete has had this type of reaction. Hopefully, more stories like this won’t come out.