Brittany Burnette was working as a nursing home director in Tennessee in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the nation. When vaccines became available in January of the following year, Brittany got her shot in the hopes of protecting her patients from getting infected. Six months later, she started experiencing pain in her hips that was so unbearable that she required a wheelchair to move around. Her condition was first diagnosed as arthritis, which was very surprising, considering she was only 31 years of age. However, a subsequent MRI scan revealed that her hip bones were deteriorating. She had to undergo two hip replacement surgeries, followed by additional operations on her knees, shoulders, elbow, and feet. Around a year after her symptoms first began, one of Brittany’s doctors suggested her condition may be the result of contracting the COVID virus and developing rare COVID vaccine side effects.
Diagnosed With Multifocal Avascular Necrosis
Britanny was already dealing with thickening heart muscles, a condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, before receiving her vaccine. However, with the help of her cardiologist, she was able to manage her condition. New symptoms then started to arise six months after getting her shots and she was required to see various doctors, including a geneticist and orthopedics. It was her geneticist who suggested that her complications may have arisen due to a combination of having COVID-19 and receiving the vaccinations. The geneticist told Britanny that the vaccine triggered an immune response causing her body to send out thousands of clots that cut the supply of blood to her bones. However, some of her other doctors think that she has either rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. The diagnostic tests for these autoimmune diseases have either come back negative or remain inconclusive.
Brittany has since been diagnosed with multifocal avascular necrosis, a condition in which bones start to die due to a lack of adequate blood supply. This condition is typically caused by bodily trauma, such as fractured or broken bones. In 2023, a study investigating the link between avascular necrosis and COVID infection in 17 individuals was published. The study revealed that 82% of the individuals experienced pain in both hips. An astonishing 18% of these individuals had to have hip replacement surgery, pointing to a considerable risk of developing the condition after having COVID. However, the role of the vaccines is less clear, as there is not enough research on the subject yet. One study noted that vaccines such as the one created by AstraZeneca have been linked to very rare blood clotting disorders.
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Triggered by Inflammation and Blood Clots
Blood clot abnormalities and inflammation can trigger multifocal avascular necrosis. These potential triggers have been observed in both severe COVID-19 infections as well as COVID vaccine side effects. Covid affects the vascular system and causes significant inflammatory responses. Therefore, it is possible that these effects could further be exacerbated if the shots are administered too soon after being infected, especially in patients with underlying issues. In Britanny’s case, a combination of the infection and the shot led to a domino effect – she developed blood clots in her lungs and her kidney function began to decline.
While there seems to be considerable evidence that links COVID-19 infection to avascular necrosis development, the connection between vaccines and the condition remains inconclusive. Brittany has become a vocal advocate for individuals suffering from conditions potentially linked to COVID vaccine side effects. She has begun to urge researchers to conduct more comprehensive studies regarding injuries potentially related to the vaccines. However, it should be noted that some patients developed avascular necrosis after having COVID without having received any vaccines at all.
The Bottom Line On COVID Vaccine Side Effects.
Brittany’s story is a reminder that more research is still required to deal with the complexities of public health in a post-COVID era. While there is compelling evidence that COVID infections can trigger conditions such as multifocal avascular necrosis, the effect of the vaccines remains inconclusive. At the moment, however, most cases have been linked to COVID infection itself, steroids, or other underlying health conditions. Since many of these symptoms manifest differently in everyone, it is important that practitioners focus on individualized healthcare that investigates emerging health issues. Researchers need to conduct more comprehensive studies aimed at ensuring the safest and most informed medical interventions for everyone.
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