Press Releases
AFLDS Files TRO Against Department of Defense to Block Covid Vaccine Mandate
America’s Frontline Doctors Files Petition for Temporary Restraining Order to Prevent Harm to U.S. Military from Defense Department COVID Shot Mandate for Those with Existing Immunity DENVER, CO – With mandates being used to force healthy and COVID-recovered soldiers to accept experimental gene therapies and the threat of court martials looming over America’s bravest men and women, America’s Frontline Doctors (AFLDS) filed a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) today as an emergency measure to prevent immediate harm. The filing follows the AFLDS complaint filed on Aug 23 in Colorado Federal District Court against the Department of Defense to protect the COVID-recovered in all branches of the military. Today’s legal action is reminiscent of the successful legal actions that blocked a similarly misguided military order in 2003 to mass vaccinate young healthy soldiers with a very dangerous anthrax vaccine. AFLDS Legal Director Chris Dunn said: “The Biden administration’s outright disdain of the US Military is on full display. The blood of so many brave American soldiers needlessly killed during the precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan is on its hands. Now they seek to force on every member of the military an injection from which they will derive zero benefit but that carries real risks of serious harms, including death. Long term adverse effects are unknown. The three mRNA injections currently ‘approved’ are ineffective against the dominant delta variant. And there is growing evidence that vaccination worsens infection.” The original complaint has not yet been heard on the merits, however, the pressure and coercion being applied to military personnel around the country without regard to their individual existing immunity, current medical condition, and related risk factors, has prompted AFLDS to take more urgent action. The TRO is seeking immediate protection for soldiers being put in harm’s way by reckless mandates which fail to recognize elevated risks for those with previous infections and other medical considerations. “The safety of America’s soldiers and our military readiness is currently under attack” stated AFLDS Legal Counsel Todd Callender. “The DoD is abusing its authority and creating an inappropriate environment of coercion. Targeting soldiers who are COVID-recovered with unscientific policies that ignore both the science and the law in a way that harms these soldiers is a dangerous exercise that must be immediately halted.” Current military law provides explicit medical exemptions for personnel with existing immunity as shown by documented infection. In a shocking dismissal of the law, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated “Those with previous COVID-19 infection are not considered fully vaccinated.” He insisted they comply with the mandate. “This is illegal on its face, and an arrogant contradiction of previously codified protections to guard the health and safety of America’s fighting force,” stated Dunn. “Such an ignorant statement about basic immunology by a Cabinet Secretary who is tasked with safeguarding the health of our military is stunning.” Active military personnel without co-morbidities statistically have a near-100% survival rate for COVID-19, even if left untreated—and there is a large and continually growing body of evidence showing the efficacy of early treatment with medications that have been approved by the FDA for decades, with impeccable safety profiles. There have been 12 COVID deaths and 27 motor vehicle deaths in our military. AFLDS contends that forcing universal acceptance of new therapeutics which still lack long-term safety data by soldiers with such a low risk profile is not only senseless, but potentially dangerous and entirely impermissible under current law providing for reasonable medical exemptions. The organization believes there is a real and substantial risk of severe harm, most concerning is myocarditis which can lead to death or permanent disability. Dr. Richard Amerling, Associate Medical Director at AFLDS said: “The experimental shots are associated with real and substantial risk of severe harm. The most concerning in the healthy young soldier population is myocarditis which can lead to death or permanent disability. The chances of myocarditis or pericarditis is statistically insignificant in the young unless they have been vaccinated.” AFLDS expects a positive ruling to enforce the TRO as a necessary measure to prevent needless harm to soldiers with relevant risk factors that merit a medical exemption. If this is denied for any reason, however, the initial complaint filed to protect military personnel with medical conditions deserving of an exemption will continue its way through the federal court process, to be fully considered on the merits and given a complete ruling.