The shortstop for the Philadelphia Phillies says he experienced negative side effects of the COVID-19 vaccine right off the bat, faulting his inoculation for a bad season.
Didi Gregorius, 31, said the vaccine caused him to develop pseudogout (a form of arthritis characterized by sudden, painful swelling) in his right elbow. He first felt the swelling in his elbow after he got his second vaccine dose in April, and despite taking medications, the discomfort has not left, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Thursday.
“Some people say it’s from the vaccine. I will say it’s likely from that, too,” Gregorius told the outlet on Wednesday. “But when you say that, everyone looks at you like you’re stupid because the vaccine is not supposed to be like that or give you that reaction.”
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Gregorius, who said he had a “really bad reaction” that forced him to be “nine days removed” from Major League Baseball, did not clarify whether he received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, each of which requires two doses.
Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said that vaccines, including the ones used to combat COVID-19, do not cause pseudogout. While Offit did say that it is possible for a vaccine to cause a flare-up of an existing case of pseudogout, the episode would only last a few days, not long enough to affect an entire season of baseball.
Less than 0.1% of those who get the COVID-19 vaccines experienced negative side effects, including life-threatening illness, hospitalization, permanent disability, or death, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in February.
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Phillies Manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday that 85% of the team had been vaccinated against COVID-19, a significant threshold allowing the team to relax several safety procedures.
Representatives for the Phillies and MLB did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s requests for comment.
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Tags: News, Baseball, Major League Baseball, Vaccination, Coronavirus, Sports, Philadelphia, Healthcare
Original Author: Asher Notheis
Original Location: Phillies shortstop blames COVID-19 vaccine for worst season