While most people don’t experience serious side effects, a new report highlights a hidden danger that could affect a small but significant group — particularly young, healthy individuals who don’t expect heart trouble. At the forefront of medical research questioning the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, a groundbreaking study titled "Risk Stratification for Future Cardiac Arrest after COVID-19 Vaccination" was published in the World Journal of Cardiology on February 26, 2025. Authored by Nicolas Hulscher, MPH, and Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPH, this peer-reviewed report introduces the first protocol to identify who might be at risk of sudden cardiac arrest after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. This article breaks down the study’s key findings, explains its importance, and connects it to Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s health agenda as the head of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

What the post-covid vaccine Study Says

The study tackles a scary possibility: healthy people, especially young ones, might face sudden cardiac arrest months or years after getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Cardiac arrest happens when the heart suddenly stops beating, often due to chaotic electrical activity like ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation. The researchers suggest this could stem from silent heart inflammation — called subclinical myopericarditis — that goes unnoticed because it’s hard to spot on scans or even autopsies.

Hulscher and McCullough propose a way to figure out who’s at risk. Their "risk stratification" protocol uses a mix of tools: checking a person’s vaccine history (how many doses and when), testing for antibodies against the virus’s spike protein, and running heart tests like an ECG or MRI. They argue that the vaccine’s mRNA, which tells cells to make the spike protein, might linger in the body, triggering inflammation that sets the stage for a deadly heart rhythm problem, especially during exercise or sleep when adrenaline spikes.

The study reviewed data showing cardiac arrest risks jumped after vaccination—up 133% after the first Pfizer dose and 186% after the second compared to pre-vaccine rates. Of 28 autopsied cases linked to the vaccine, most showed heart damage as the culprit. The authors call for urgent action: screen people, warn them about risks, and research ways to reverse potential harm, like using enzymes to break down lingering spike protein.

The personal side of COVID-19 vaccine deaths

Here are three heartbreaking stories demonstrating why you and those you love should consider your risks. In each case, families or doctors have claimed that individuals died of cardiac arrest following COVID-19 vaccination, based on available reports and discussions up to March 2, 2025. These are drawn from public accounts, often shared by families, or highlighted by medical professionals questioning vaccine safety. Note that these claims are not universally accepted as conclusively proven by mainstream medical authorities, and causation remains debated due to limited public access to full medical records or official investigations.

Ernesto Ramirez Jr. – A father’s claim of vaccine-induced cardiac arrest

Ernesto Ramirez Jr., a 16-year-old from Texas, died five days after receiving his first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine dose on April 19, 2021. His father, Ernesto Ramirez, asserts that his healthy son suffered a cardiac arrest linked to the vaccine. According to Ramirez, Junior collapsed while running with a friend and was pronounced dead at the hospital. An autopsy reportedly showed an enlarged heart, twice the normal size, with inflammation, which Ramirez and some advocates, like Dr. Peter McCullough, attribute to vaccine-induced myocarditis leading to cardiac arrest. Ramirez has shared his story widely, including in interviews and at events like a 2021 press conference hosted by Senator Ron Johnson, claiming the vaccine took his only child. The CDC investigated but concluded no definitive link could be established, though Ramirez remains convinced, supported by groups like React19, which document vaccine injury stories.

Trista Martin – A mother’s account of sudden death

Trista Martin, an 18-year-old from Oklahoma, died on October 23, 2021, seven weeks after receiving her second Pfizer dose. Her mother, Taylor Martin, claims Trista suffered a cardiac arrest in her sleep, discovered lifeless by her boyfriend. Taylor told Revolver News in a 2025 interview that Trista had been healthy, with no prior heart issues, until after vaccination. She noted Trista complained of fatigue and chest discomfort in the weeks prior, symptoms she now believes were signs of myocarditis. An autopsy reportedly cited cardiac arrest, but Taylor alleges the medical examiner dismissed vaccine involvement without thorough investigation. Dr. Peter McCullough, commenting on similar cases, has suggested such deaths align with subclinical myocarditis triggering fatal arrhythmias, a theory Taylor embraces as she campaigns for awareness through platforms like the Vaccine Safety Research Foundation.

Rory James Nairn – A fiancée’s accusation backed by coroner findings

Rory James Nairn, a 26-year-old from New Zealand (NZ), died on November 17, 2021, 12 days after receiving his first Pfizer dose. His fiancée, Ashleigh Wilson, claims he suffered a cardiac arrest at home after experiencing chest pain and fatigue, which he initially downplayed. According to Wilson, Rory collapsed in the shower and could not be revived. A 2022 coroner’s report confirmed myocarditis as the cause of death, linking it to the vaccine — a rare but acknowledged side effect. Wilson told the NZ Herald that Rory’s doctor failed to warn him about myocarditis risks or recognize his symptoms when he sought help days earlier. She has since criticized the government’s vaccine rollout, aligning with voices like Dr. Nicolas Hulscher, who cite such cases to argue for better risk screening, as in his 2025 World Journal of Cardiology study.

COVID vaccine deaths context and caveats

These stories reflect claims from families or doctors asserting a connection between the COVID-19 vaccine and cardiac arrest, often citing myocarditis as the mechanism. Mainstream sources, like the CDC, acknowledge myocarditis as a rare vaccine side effect, most common in young males, but maintain that such cases rarely lead to death. However, these families and supportive doctors argue that underreporting, inadequate autopsies, or dismissal of vaccine ties obscure the truth. Without universal access to detailed medical data, these remain contested narratives fueling ongoing debate, until now.

Why the post-covid vaccine study matters

This study is a big deal because it challenges the mainstream story that COVID-19 vaccines are completely safe for everyone. While most people don’t experience serious side effects, the report highlights a hidden danger that could affect a small but significant group — particularly young, healthy individuals who don’t expect heart trouble. If the protocol works, it could save lives by catching problems before they turn deadly. It also pushes back against the idea that vaccine risks are fully understood, urging doctors and scientists to dig deeper instead of dismissing concerns. Learn more about other COVID-19 vaccine health risks in this one minute video.

Teens and young adults have faced vaccine mandates for school or sports, often without much talk about rare but severe risks like this. The study empowers everyone, regardless of age to ask questions and demand transparency about what’s going into their bodies — something science should always encourage.

The post-covid vaccine Study’s connection to RFK Jr. and HHS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known as RFK Jr., has long criticized vaccine safety and government overreach in health policy. As a vocal skeptic, he’s pointed to studies like this to argue that federal agencies like the CDC and FDA have downplayed risks to push mass vaccination. As the leader of HHS, this report aligns perfectly with his agenda to overhaul how we handle vaccines and public health.

RFK Jr. has promised to prioritize independent research, challenge pharmaceutical influence, and protect individual choice. Hulscher and McCullough’s work fits his narrative: it’s a peer-reviewed call to rethink vaccine safety, free from what he calls “Big Pharma’s grip.” As HHS Secretary, Kennedy could use this study to push for nationwide screening programs, pause mandates until risks are clearer, or fund treatments to detoxify spike protein effects — ideas the study hints at. His focus on empowering patients over bureaucrats mirrors the study’s push for personalized risk assessment over one-size-fits-all policies.

In part two of this three part series, we’ll explain the stratification protocol to prepare you for conversations with your doctor about your risk. Part three is a video explaining a recent report that compels the FDA to reveal data that includes COVID-19 vaccine adverse event reports, potentially shedding light on side effects Pfizer monitored post-vaccination. It’s a victory for transparency, though it doesn’t mandate an updated side effect list on vaccine labels.

Wrapping up the WJC post-covid vaccine Study

The World Journal of Cardiology (WJC) study by Hulscher and McCullough isn’t just another science paper, it’s a wake-up call. It offers a practical way to spot who might be a ticking time bomb after the COVID-19 vaccine, challenging the assumption that these shots are risk-free. For Secretary Kennedy, it’s ammo in his fight to reshape health policy around skepticism and accountability. Whether you’re a student, parent, or just curious, this research reminds us: science isn’t settled — it’s a debate we all have a stake in.

Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed on natural health news.

We want to hear from you. Take a three-question survey. Tell us about your biggest health challenge. We'll do the research and publish helpful information about the topics that interest you the most.

Citation:

McCullough, P. A., & Hulscher, N. (2025). Risk stratification for future cardiac arrest after COVID-19 vaccination. World Journal of Cardiology, 17(2), 103909. DOI: 10.4330/wjc.v17.i2.10390