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The 'Cost of Following Orders': Herridge Exposes Dark Side of Military's Vaccine Mandate

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  June 25, 2024 8:00 AM

As the COVID vaccines were being mandated across various sectors, including in the military, those who spoke out against them were often retaliated against, deplatformed, or smeared as a conspiracy theorist. Among those who never wavered in trying to get these voices heard was Sen. Ron Johnson, who held numerous roundtable discussions on the topic with medical experts and vaccine injured. As time went on, more lawmakers began speaking out, and now the once-taboo topic is getting even more attention.

Former CBS investigative reporter Catherine Herridge is out with a new report titled “The Cost of Following Orders: COVID Vaccine Injured in the U.S. Military” detailing the story of Karolina Stancik, a specialist in the Army National Guard who suffered debilitating medical issues after the Defense Department mandated the COVID-19 vaccines.  

In a video posted on X, Stancik, who now takes 27 pills per day, dumps a bag of prescription bottles on a counter to show Herridge. Since taking the shot, the previously healthy 24-year-old has suffered three heart attacks, a mini stroke, and now has a pacemaker.   

Government records confirm she suffers from a vaccine-induced heart condition called POTS, or postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. 

In 2022, she was released from active duty, leaving her without pay and health insurance. This, coupled with her debilitating condition, left her suicidal.  

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With the help of advocacy group USJAG, she fought for 19 months to get a memo acknowledging she was injured in the line of duty. 

Veterans Advocate Jeremy Sorenson told Herridge the Army and National Guard "abandoned Karolina for 19 months," noting that they should have retained her until she was better and returned to duty or was evaluated for her disability. 

"Her case is representative of hundreds to possibly thousands of other vaccine injury cases but moreover it’s very indicative of the systemic problem of the DoD abandoning injured service members," he said. "Vaccine injuries are also very political and the leadership in the Defense Department did not want to address that and still does not want to address that maybe we hurt our own people."

Not until October 2023 did the Army Human Resources Command determine that her heart condition occurred in the line of duty.

"What was the cost of following orders?" Herridge wondered. 

"It pretty much cost my whole life," she replied. "I was left behind and trampled."

An Army spokesperson told the investigative reporter that Stancik could have remained on active duty while she received care, but Stancik denies she was ever told about this option.