Alzheimer's Runs in the Family; Smart Move to Start Prevention Measures Now

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHIf you are like me, we worry about cognitive decline over the next several decades by watching what has happened to our parents and grandparents.  Thus far in human history, by age 80, 50% have cognitive decline, age 90—75%, and at 100 years, 85% have lost mental function and a sizable fraction have clinical Alzheimer’s disease.  So I reached out to neurological specialist, Dr Ravi Kumar for a full update.Here’s the summary:🧠 Alzheimer’s Disease: Prevention Over Cure — The McCullough-Kumar InterviewDr. Peter McCullough and Dr. Ravi Kumar — a board-certified neurosurgeon trained at Mayo Clinic and now assistant professor at UNC — delivered one of the most comprehensive public discussions on Alzheimer’s disease to date. With both of McCullough’s parents afflicted, the conversation was personal as well as clinical.The Amyloid Dead EndDr. Kumar dismantled the beta-amyloid hypothesis that has dominated Alzheimer’s research for decades. “We figured out ways to get it out of the brain, but people don’t get better,” he noted. The monoclonal antibodies — lecanemab and donanemab — clear plaques effectively but come with alarming rates of ARIA (brain swelling and hemorrhage), affecting up toone in four patients. Those at highest risk for these side effects? ApoE4 carriers — the very population most vulnerable to Alzheimer’s in the first place.The existing cholinesterase inhibitors (donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine) and the NMDA antagonist memantine were dismissed as purely symptomatic with trivial improvements in ADASCOG of < 2 points. “They don’t even touch the disease,” Kumar said. “It’s almost like taking a pain med for a cut on your arm.”The Real Drivers: Metabolic Health and LifestyleKumar identifiedinsulin resistanceas the number one modifiable risk factor. The brain consumes 20% of the body’s energy despite being only three pounds. When neurons become insulin-resistant, they enter an energy crisis — housekeeping functions collapse, beta-amyloid accumulates, tau tangles form, and synapses deteriorate.Key protective strategies discussed:Walking outside daily— the human body’s most fundamental movement, shown to improve surgical recovery and overall healthResistance training— muscle mass acts as a glucose sink, maintaining insulin sensitivityOutdoor exposure— sunlight for vitamin D and circadian regulation; the Japanese practice offorest bathingfor mental healthSleep quality— the glymphatic system flushes toxins including beta-amyloid during deep sleep; even one night of sleep deprivation raises brain amyloid by 5%Alcohol avoidance— described bluntly as “a neurotoxin… designed by fungus to hurt animals with nervous systems”Genetics Are Not DestinyThe ApoE4 allele dramatically raises Alzheimer’s risk — from ~5% baseline (E3/E3) to ~65% lifetime risk (E4/E4), with even higher rates in African-Americans who drink alcohol. Yet Kumar pointed to Nigerian populations with high ApoE4 prevalence and near-zero Alzheimer’s rates among those maintaining traditional diets and lifestyles. “You have to take these variants and load them with a certain diet and lifestyle characteristic,” he explained. McCullough, who tested as E2/E3 (the protective variant), noted his parents behave clinically like E4 carriers — underscoring that environment often overrides genetics.New Diagnostics, Old FailuresBlood tests measuringphosphorylated tau-217now achieve 96% specificity for Alzheimer’s detection — outperforming both spinal taps and PET scans. These tests can identify disease before symptoms appear, shifting diagnosis from clinical to biochemical. Yet the treatment landscape remains barren: the ADAS-Cog scale (0–70) shows existing interventions moving scores by only a point or two.Supplements Worth ConsideringVitamin D— deficiency mimics dementia; optimal levels above 30 ng/mLMagnesium L-threonate— crosses the blood-brain barrier; small trials show modest cognitive improvementCoenzyme Q10— critical for mitochondrial energy production; McCullough recommends ~600–800 mg daily, especially for statin usersPolymannose derivatives(aloe-based) — Dr. John Lewis’s research at University of Miami showed 4.5-point ADAS-Cog improvements in nursing home patients over 12 months, outperforming prescription drugsThe Bottom Line“Prevention has to be the focus,” Kumar emphasized. Modifiable risk factors — including regular exercise outside, abstinence from alcohol, hearing loss correction (which alone can reduce dementia risk by 50–60%), smoking cessation, hypertension control, and social connection — “blow any drug out of the water.”FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Please subscribe to FOCAL POINTS as a paying ($5 monthly) or founder member so we can continue to bring you the truth.AlterAImay be used to assist in searches, synthesis, and review.Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHPresident, McCullough FoundationFOCAL POINTS has partnered withPiqueto promote your optimal health. To learn more aboutPiqueproducts and get 20% off and free gifts today,https://www.piquelife.com/DRPETERReferencesMcCullough P, Kumar R. Alzheimer’s Disease: Epidemiology, Detection, Treatment.The McCullough Report / America Out Loud Talk News / Dr. Kumar’s Discovery Podcast. Broadcast date not specified in transcript. Available via McCullough Report and Focal Point Substack.

Summary: Why waiting for symptoms is a losing strategy — and what to do about it today


Nano-Curcumin Eliminates Cyclospora Infection in Mice—the Parasite Behind the “Explosive Diarrhea” Outbreak Across 31 States

byNicolas Hulscher, MPHCyclospora infections are surging across the United States.Caused by the microscopic intestinal parasiteCyclospora cayetanensis, the infection can trigger prolonged watery diarrhea, severe abdominal cramping, nausea, fatigue, and weight loss that may persist for weeks without treatment.As of July 9, 2026, the CDC had confirmed843 domestically acquired cases across 31 states, including 86 hospitalizations. Multiple outbreaks remain under investigation, and the contaminated food sources have not yet been identified. Bactrim is an established treatment for cyclosporiasis, but many are wondering if there are natural alternatives.Arecent studyidentified curcumin—the primary bioactive pigment in turmeric—as a potentially powerful natural treatment forCyclosporainfection. In mice, just seven daily doses of nano-curcuminreduced parasite shedding by 97.2%, eliminated detectable parasites, restored damaged intestinal tissue, and prevented relapse after treatment withdrawal.Nano-curcumin is curcumin packaged in extremely small oil-based droplets (30–40 nanometers) designed to improve its delivery and absorption.Researchers experimentally infected mice withCyclosporaand compared three treatments:Nano-curcumin:2 mg/kg once dailyRegular curcumin:2 mg/kg once dailyBactrim/TMP-SMX:5 mg/kg trimethoprim plus 25 mg/kg sulfamethoxazole once dailyEach treatment was administered for onlyseven consecutive days, beginning on day 6 after infection when parasite shedding started. The mice received no additional treatment and were followed through day 30—more than two weeks after the final dose.Nano-curcumin produced the strongest overall results.By the end of treatment, parasite oocyst shedding had fallen by:84.0% with nano-curcumin77.3% with Bactrim73.3% with regular curcuminAt day 30, more than two weeks after treatment ended:Nano-curcumin: 97.2% reductionRegular curcumin: 93.5% reductionBactrim: 79.4% reductionUntreated control: persistent and increasing sheddingAll three treatments significantly reduced Cyclospora shedding compared with the untreated control (P<0.001), although differences among nano-curcumin, regular curcumin, and Bactrim were not statistically significant.The mean stool oocyst count at day 30 was1.07in untreated infected mice, compared with0.22in the Bactrim group,0.07with regular curcumin, and just0.03with nano-curcumin.Nano-Curcumin Prevented RelapseThe most important result was not simply the reduction in parasite shedding.The authors reportedno recurrence after nano-curcumin treatment.Unlike regular curcumin and Bactrim, no rebound in infection was detected after treatment withdrawal. No parasite was found in intestinal tissue by standard histological staining, and the researchers stated that the infection appeared to have beeneliminated.Thus, seven daily doses of nano-curcumin produced a sustained97.2% reduction in parasite shedding, with no detected intestinal parasites or relapse more than two weeks later.Regular Curcumin Was Also Highly EffectiveThe ordinary curcumin group also performed remarkably well.After the same seven-day course, regular curcumin reduced parasite shedding by93.5% at day 30. No parasite was detected in the intestinal tissue by H&E staining at that time point.The main distinction was that low-level stool shedding remained, so the authors did not describe regular curcumin as preventing recurrence as clearly as the nanoemulsion. Still, the findings suggest that curcumin itself has substantial anti-Cyclosporaactivity, while nano-formulation may enhance and prolong its effect.Curcumin Damaged the Parasite and Restored the IntestineScanning electron microscopy revealed extensive structural damage toCyclosporaoocysts following treatment with both forms of curcumin.Untreated oocysts had smooth, regular outer surfaces. Curcumin-treated oocysts became distorted and developed dimples, protrusions, and surface irregularities. Nano-curcumin produced even more dramatic changes, including enlargement or shrinkage, deep furrows, pores, perforations, and rough surface damage.The intestinal findings were equally striking.Untreated infection caused shortened and blunted villi, epithelial erosion, inflammation, and progressive destruction of the absorptive intestinal surface. Both Bactrim and regular curcumin improved the intestinal tissue, but nano-curcumin produced the greatest recovery.Mean intestinal villous length was approximately:126 μm in untreated infected mice156 μm with Bactrim190 μm with regular curcumin233 μm with nano-curcuminIn the nano-curcumin group, the intestinal surface remained intact, inflammation declined markedly, villous length returned toward normal, and no parasites were detected in the tissue.Why the Nanoemulsion May MatterCurcumin has demonstrated antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, but poor water solubility and limited bioavailability have restricted its therapeutic potential.The nanoemulsion used in this study contained particles measuring approximately30–40 nanometers. This formulation may improve curcumin’s solubility, stability, biological activity, and contact time with the intestinal parasite.BecauseCyclosporainfects the small intestine, orally administered curcumin may also remain concentrated near the site of infection. The strong performance of regular curcumin supports the compound’s underlying antiparasitic activity, while the improved results with nano-curcumin suggest that drug delivery may be the key to maximizing that effect.ConclusionBactrim remains the treatment of choice for human cyclosporiasis because it has direct clinical evidence in infected patients.Human clinical trialshave shown that TMP-SMX successfully treats cyclosporiasis and can shorten average parasite shedding from 12.1 days to 4.8 days.Curcumin and nano-curcumin, by contrast, have not yet been tested in human patients with cyclosporiasis. Their evidence for this infection currently comes from this animal study.However, given curcumin’s non-toxic nature even at very high doses and myriad other benefits, I will have it in my arsenal in case of infection.Controlled human trials are now needed to determine whether these striking results can be reproduced in people.Nicolas Hulscher, MPHEpidemiologist and Foundation Administrator, McCullough FoundationSupport our mission:mcculloughfnd.orgPlease consider following both theMcCullough Foundationandmy personal accountonX(formerly Twitter) for further content.FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Summary: Just seven daily doses of nano-curcumin cut Cyclospora shedding by 97.2%, eliminated detectable parasites, restored damaged intestinal tissue, and prevented infection relapse.


T-Cell Immunity: The Holy Grail of Cancer (and COVID-19) Prevention?

Author’s Note: This is the first in a series of articles about T-cell immunity and an immunotherapy for enhancing it.The decline of T-cells with age—known asimmunosenescence—is a primary driver of the increased risk of cancer in older adults.As the body ages, the thymus gland shrinks, drastically reducing the production of new T-cells capable of hunting down and destroying emerging tumors.As we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic—and as our corrupt health authorities worked hard to suppress—healthy children were NOT at risk of developing severe COVID-19 because of their large and super active thymus gland. In 2021, I witnessed my five-year old niece contract COVID-19 from her (vaccinated) mother. One day she developed a rash, mild cough, and malaise, and the following day she was fully recovered.Age-related T-cell decline drives cancer development in the following specific ways:Decreased Immunosurveillance:Young, healthy immune systems constantly scan the body and eliminate nascent cancer cells before they can form tumors. As T-cell populations drop, this surveillance system weakens, allowing malignant cells to multiply undetected.Replicative Senescence:The T-cells that remain become “exhausted” or senescent. They lose their ability to divide effectively and fail to mount a strong attack when they encounter tumor antigens.T-cell Receptor Restriction:The diversity of the T-cell repertoire shrinks, meaning the immune system loses the ability to recognize a wide variety of cancer mutations.Immunosuppressive Microenvironment:Instead of killing cancer, many aged immune cells accumulate in the tumor environment and actively secrete proteins that protect the tumor and help it grow.For several years, Professor Angus Dalgleish has been fascinated by the role of T-cells in preventing cancer, and how the increased incidence of cancer with age closely corresponds to T-cell senescence.A few weeks ago, I spent a day with him at his home near London, talking about this fascinating subject. Over lunch, we discussed theThe COVID-19 Vaccine Cancer Catastrophe.One of the most stunning features of this catastrophe is this evidence that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines actuallycauseT-cell exhaustion.On a positive note, Professor Dalgleish told me about a therapeutic approach that struck me as highly plausible. This approach originated decades ago with the observation that pastoral tribes in Africa who maintained the ancient lifestyle of living with their cattle experienced lower rates of tuberculosis than non-pastoral populations. This led to the discovery of the therapeutic benefits ofMycobacterium vaccae— a nonpathogenicspecies of the Mycobacteriaceae family of bacteria that lives in the soil.Like the wordvaccine, the species name derives from the Latin word,vacca(cow), as the firstMycobacteriumstrain was cultured from cow dung in Austria in 1964 byR. Bönickeand E. Juhasz, who worked at the Leibniz Lung Center in Borstel, Germany.The bacterium was subsequently isolated from soil in the Ugandan Lang’o District, where locals claimed that a muddy substance had the power to cure a number of ailments.This led to experiments usingMycobacterium vaccaein conjunction with the BCG vaccine, which resulted in significant improvement of the BCG vaccine’s efficacy against tuberculosis.Research is currently being conducted using killedMycobacterium vaccaeimmunotherapy for allergic asthma,cancer, depression, leprosy, psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and tuberculosis.Professor Dalgleish is especially interested in how an intradermal, inactivated close relative ofMycobacterium vaccae—a bacterium calledMycobacterium obuense—stimulates the body's innate immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.Upon hearing about this product, I was instantly reminded of my longstanding intuition thatHomo sapiens —whichemerged around 300,000 years agoand migrated out of Africa—has an innate immune system that evolved within the context of living with animals, especially with cattle.The Lascaux Cave Paintings in Dordogne, France—often called the “Sistine Chapel of Prehistory”—dates back approximately 17,000 years, and prominently features striking images of aurochs, the now extinct ancestor of modern cattle.Cattle are thought to be the origin of a number of pathogens such as measles, tuberculosis, brucellosis, and anthrax. Tuberculosis and measles subsequently became especially pathogenic for populations living in cities. It appears that—as a result of selective evolutionary pressure from living with cattle— T-cell immunity is stimulatedin the presence of cattleand conversely declines among city-dwellers who do not live with cattle.Reflecting on idea causes me to wonder if it may be the true explanation for 18th century anecdotes in Gloucestershire, England that dairymaids did NOT contract smallpox. Edward Jenner assumed it was because they had already contracted cowpox, but now I wonder if they simply had vastly superior T-cell immunity.For more about this fascinating subject, see Professor Dalgleish’s paperInfection, immunoregulation, and cancer,which he coauthored with the British immunologist, Graham A.W. RookAuthor’s Note: If you found this article interesting and informative, please become a paid subscriber to our Focal Points newsletter. For just $5.00 per month, you can support us in our effort to conduct the kind of investigative scholarship and reporting that you will NOT find in mainstream media or even in mainstream academic journals that have been captured by the pharmaceutical industry.Subscribe nowShare

Summary: Immunosenescence is a primary driver of the increased risk of cancer in older adults. An inactivated, nonpathogenic bacterium shows promise in stimulating T-cell production.


They Died During Sports Competition and Came Back Wired

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHA legacy transvenous implantable cardio-defibrillator (ICD) meant the end of an athletic career just a few years ago.  That paradigm has shifted dramatically with the pandemic and new subcutaneous technology.The Rise of the Subcutaneous ICD in Young Athletes: A Post-Pandemic Shift in Cardiac ProtectionThe sight of an elite athlete crumpling to the turf mid-game, chest unresponsive to a heart that has simply quit, has become one of the defining nightmare images of the pandemic era. And the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator—the S-ICD—has quietly emerged as the intervention of choice for a generation of young competitors walking off the field with a second chance and a titanium puck nestled against their ribcage.Subscribe nowRead more

Summary: Inside the S-ICD revolution that's letting athletes like Eriksen and Bauer compete through the unthinkable


Testosterone Replacement Therapy After the TRAVERSE Trial

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHSerum testosterone concentration drops as a function of age in the norman human male.  Low testosterone (hypogonadism) becomes increasingly common with age. Estimates vary depending on the definition used, but studies suggest that approximately 20% of men older than age 45 have low testosterone levels, with prevalence rising steadily in older age groups. Some reviews have estimated testosterone deficiency affects roughly 30% of men between ages 40 and 79, particularly among those with obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and other chronic health conditions. Testosterone levels also naturally decline by about 1% per year beginning in a man’s 30s.[amjmed.com],[nature.com]Summary of the JAMA Medical NewsA July 2026JAMA Medical Newsarticle reviews whether recent evidence—particularly the TRAVERSE trial—supports broader prescribing of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).BackgroundTestosterone therapy experienced a dramatic rise in popularity during the “low T” boom of the early 2000s. Direct-to-consumer advertising and specialized clinics promoted TRT for symptoms such as fatigue, decreased libido, and reduced vitality. Concerns subsequently emerged that testosterone was being overprescribed, often without appropriate diagnostic confirmation, while questions arose regarding cardiovascular safety.In 2015, the FDA required manufacturers to add warnings regarding possible cardiovascular risks and mandated a large clinical trial to better assess safety.The TRAVERSE TrialThe TRAVERSE study enrolled more than 5,200 men aged 45 to 80 years with symptoms of hypogonadism and either known cardiovascular disease or elevated cardiovascular risk.The primary finding was reassuring: testosterone gel (not injections) therapy didnot increase major adverse cardiovascular eventssuch as heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death compared with placebo.These findings have become a major reason HHS is now recommending updates to testosterone product labeling.Proposed Label ChangesHHS has proposed three major revisions:Removal of language stating that safety and effectiveness have not been established for age-related hypogonadism.Narrowing prostate cancer contraindications primarily to men with metastatic prostate cancer.Updating warnings regarding benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) to reflect evidence that TRT generally does not worsen urinary symptoms in most men when appropriately monitored.Supporters argue these changes better reflect current evidence and may improve access for appropriately selected patients.Ongoing ConcernsDespite the reassuring cardiovascular results, several experts remain cautious.Key concerns include:Increased rates of atrial fibrillation seen in the testosterone group.Higher rates of pulmonary embolism (blood clots).More acute kidney injury events.An unexpected increase in fractures reported in secondary analyses.Limited long-term follow-up (average approximately 33 months).Exclusion of men at elevated prostate cancer risk.Evaluation of only one testosterone formulation (AndroGel), making generalization to injections and other preparations uncertain.Some investigators worry that the study could unintentionally encourage broader testosterone prescribing beyond the population actually studied.Who Should Receive Topical Testosterone?The article emphasizes a broad consensus among experts:TRT shouldnotbe prescribed based on symptoms alone.Diagnosis requires compatible symptomsandconsistently low testosterone levels on repeated laboratory testing.Other causes of low testosterone—including obesity, chronic illness, poor sleep, medication effects, and alcohol use—should be considered.Men receiving TRT require ongoing monitoring of testosterone levels, blood counts, prostate health, and potential adverse effects.Expected BenefitsClinical trials demonstrate benefits from TRT, but generally more modest than many advertisements have suggested.Reported benefits include:Improved sexual desire and sexual activity.Small-to-moderate improvements in mood and energy.Increased lean body mass.Reduced fat mass.Improved metabolic parameters in some men.However, randomized trials have not consistently shown major improvements in overall vitality, cognitive function, or physical performance.ConclusionThe JAMA discussion highlights a growing consensus that testosterone deficiency is a legitimate medical condition that deserves proper diagnosis and treatment when appropriate. The TRAVERSE trial provides important reassurance that carefully monitored testosterone replacement by topical gel or patch, not by injection of synthetic testosterone, appears to be safe in appropriately selected men. At the same time, questions remain regarding long-term safety, prostate cancer risk in certain populations, arrhythmias, blood clots, and other potential adverse effects.Before initiating testosterone therapy, men should undergo a thorough evaluation with repeated testosterone measurements and assessment of symptoms. Because obesity, sedentary lifestyle, poor sleep, chronic illness, and excessive alcohol use can contribute to low testosterone levels, non-pharmaceutical interventions should be implemented whenever possible. These include:Weight loss for overweight or obese individualsRegular resistance and aerobic exerciseOptimization of sleepReduction or cessation of alcohol consumptionManagement of metabolic disease and other underlying medical conditionsLow T men may also choose to discuss evidence-informed nutritional or botanical approaches with their physician. One example isZeus(The Wellness Company), a combination botanical supplement designed to support healthy testosterone levels. However, unlike prescription testosterone therapy, botanical supplements generally have not been studied in large randomized outcome trials such as TRAVERSE, and their effects may vary among individuals. They should be viewed as health and wellness approach taken before a commitment to TRT is contemplated.Thanks for reading FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™)! This post is public so feel free to share it.SharePlease subscribe toFOCAL POINTSas a paying ($5 monthly) or founder member so we can continue to bring you the truth.AlterAImay be used to assist in searches, synthesis, and review.Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHChief Scientific Officer, The Wellness Companyhttps://www.twc.health/pages/focal-pointsReferencesJAMA Medical News.Testosterone Therapy: Does New Evidence Warrant Broader Prescribing?Published online July 10, 2026. doi:10.1001/jama.2026.13149.American Urological Association.Evaluation and Management of Testosterone Deficiency Guideline (2024).[auanet.org]Traish AM, Miner MM, Morgentaler A, Zitzmann M.Testosterone Deficiency.American Journal of Medicine. 2011;124(7):578-587.[amjmed.com]Corsini C, et al.Age-related decline in total testosterone levels among young men: insights from a large single-center observational study.IJIR: Your Sexual Medicine Journal. 2025.[nature.com]Lincoff AM, Bhasin S, Flevaris P, Mitchell LM, Basaria S, Boden WE, Cunningham GR, Granger CB, Khera M, Thompson IM Jr, Wang Q, Wolski K, Davey D, Kalahasti V, Khan N, Miller MG, Snabes MC, Chan A, Dubcenco E, Li X, Yi T, Huang B, Pencina KM, Travison TG, Nissen SE; TRAVERSE Study Investigators. Cardiovascular Safety of Testosterone-Replacement Therapy. N Engl J Med. 2023 Jul 13;389(2):107-117. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2215025. Epub 2023 Jun 16. PMID: 37326322.

Summary: Neutral safety finding for topical gel--green light for broader therapy?


Katie Couric: Vaccine Evangelist, Breast Cancer, and a Brain That Forgot

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHWith all the media hype about COVID-19 vaccination in 2021 and now reports of turbo-cancer, blood clots, and neurological events in the years that follow, many are putting the pieces of the puzzle together even if the victims are oblivious to the the overall picture.🤖 Katie Couric Face of Mainstream Media’s Vaccine CampaignKatie Couric is the face of establishment media’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign—a woman who used her platform to push the shots with the kind of sunny, earnest conviction that made her a household name. Then she got breast cancer. Then, in July 2026, she suffered an episode oftransient global amnesia(TGA) so severe she forgot what year it was, who was president, and hours of her own life. The irony is thick enough to cut with a scalpel.🩺 The TimelineDecember 2020:Veteran journalist Katie Couric received her first COVID-19 vaccine publicly onDecember 18, 2020, during a live broadcast with a nurse from Temple University Hospital. She has consistently utilizedKatie Couric Mediaand her social platforms to advocate for vaccines and demystify public health guidelinesSeptember 2022:Couric announces her breast cancer diagnosis—Stage 1A, hormone receptor-positive, Her2neu-negative. She undergoes a lumpectomy, 15 rounds of radiation, and commits to five years of aromatase inhibitors.July 2026:While at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Couric experiences sudden, terrifying memory loss. She cannot recall the month, thinks it’s 2024, and believes Joe Biden is still president. She’s diagnosed with transient global amnesia—a condition involving temporary but profound disruption of memory formation.Couric framed both events with characteristic media polish—the cancer as a “teachable moment” for mammograms, the TGA as a quirky neurological blip. What she didn’t do was connect any dots.Subscribe nowRead more

Summary: Tragedy of COVID-19 vaccination playing out in public figures as audiences connect the dots


America250 Commitment to Bodily Autonomy

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHThis past America250 celebration was a time to reflect on our freedoms including bodily autonomy.🎙 Shemane Nugent Interviews Dr. Peter McCullough — America250 Edition🇺🇸 The Core Argument: Bodily Autonomy Is the American WayDr. Peter McCullough framed health freedom as a direct inheritance from the Founding Fathers. His thesis: the Declaration of Independence guaranteesbodily autonomythrough “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” and the First Amendment protects our right totalk about it. COVID, he argues, represented a wholesale shutdown of both.🏥 The Biomedical Deep StateMcCullough didn’t mince words. He described a“biopharmaceutical complex”— a biomedical deep state orientedagainstpatient interests, especially when cheap generics threaten profits. He pointed to:Ivermectin and mebendazole— effective, affordable, and being suppressed as cancer adjuncts because they’re genericmRNA platform expansioninto RSV and influenza without proper preclinical testing — “there’s no emergency,” yet the products got greenlit anywayNugent shared her own experience: banned from TikTok for discussing ivermectin, shadow-banned for asking questions. “I got suppressed for asking questions,” she said.💉 The Coercion ScarsMcCullough recounted a patient who took the shots under threat of losing his job — nowpartially paralyzed in one leg, his life trajectory permanently altered. He noted the cruel irony: those who took the vaccines “don’t want to know” what’s happening to them now. About 19% of Americans passed on the shots. McCullough and his wife were among them: “Boy, we’re so happy we didn’t.”He also dropped this:100% of House Democratstook the vaccine under Biden. Nugent’s reaction: “Jeez, that’s kind of scary.”🪲 Tick Bite Protocol & Travel PreparednessThe conversation pivoted to practical health sovereignty:Tick bites: Remove the tickwith the head, sterile wash, thendoxycycline immediately— can spare a lifetime of Lyme misery. Nugent backed this with her own Lyme Alliance experience from 25 years ago.International travel: Carry a medical emergency kit. Most Americans lack international health insurance. Foreign ERs often demand cash upfront. McCullough’s solution: theWellness Company’s kitsplus 24/7 telemedicine — the vast majority avoid urgent care entirely.⚠ Midterm WarningOn the fall elections: if Democrats retake Congress, McCullough sees little hope for “intellectual honesty” on vaccine safety or the burden on children. Even under the current administration, he admitted reforms aren’t moving fast enough — the biomedical deep state persists.FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Please subscribe toFOCAL POINTSas a paying ($5 monthly) or founder member so we can continue to bring you the truth.AlterAImay be used to assist in searches, synthesis, and review.Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHChief Scientific Officer, The Wellness Companyhttps://www.twc.health/pages/focal-points

Summary: Why refusing medical coercion isn’t just smart — it’s the most American thing you can do


"He is Everywhere." The True Origin of SPECTRE

On vacation in Altaussee in the Austrian Alps, I have been thinking about the SPECTRE crime syndicate that James Bond contended with, starting in Ian Fleming’s 1961 novelThunderball.Fleming introduced SPECTRE—the Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion—to replace the earlier SMERSH (a real Soviet counter-intelligence organization) because he feared the Cold War might thaw, thereby making state-sponsored villains obsolete.The 2015 Bond filmSPECTREfeatured a key scene shot at the Jagdhaus Seewiese here in Altaussee. I found this satisfying, as I have many fond memories of having lunch at the Jagdhaus.For those who don’t rememberSPECTRE, the film reboots the character of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, whose real name is Franz Oberhauser. Following of the death of Bond’s parents when he was eleven, he was raised by Franz’s father, Hannes, and the two boys grew up together in the Austrian Alps. Upon reaching maturity, Franz embarked on a lifelong path of evil, while Bond joined the Royal Navy and later MI6.After infiltrating a SPECTRE meeting in Rome, Bond realizes that his foster brother is running the crime syndicate.He then tracks down his old opponent Mr. White at the Jagdhaus, who has apparently developed a conscience and attempted to leave SPECTRE to no avail. The long arm of the organization has caught up with him and clandestinely poisoned him with thallium.In the following pivotal scene at the Jagdhaus, Mr. White tells Bond that “he” (meaning Oberhauser and SPECTRE) is everywhere.”Bond promise’s to protect Mr. White’s daughter, Dr. Madeleine Swann — a psychiatrist who works at the Hoffler Clinic (also in the Austrian Alps) in exchange for revealing SPECTRE’s workings.With Swann’s help, Bond discovers that SPECTRE is behind numerous global tragedies and isorchestrating terrorist attacks to legitimize the “Nine Eyes” global surveillance program, which would grant the organization unchecked access to the world’s intelligence.Contemplating the global, lockstep pandemic response that ruthlessly crushed any and all dissidents in every country reminded me of SPECTRE. Last night we had dinner at a restaurant across the lake from the Jagdhaus with Dr.Andreas Sönnichsen—former Professor of General Medicine and Head of the Department ofGeneral and Family Medicine at the Medical University of Vienna.In 2020-2021, ProfessorSönnichsen publicly questioned many elements of the official (global, lockstep) pandemic response, especially the rationale and safety the COVID-19 mass vaccination program. As a result, he was—exactly like Dr. Peter McCullough at his major university medical center in Dallas—fired, sued, and relentlessly persecuted. In the following video, they speak about their eerily similar experience, even though they were in different countries, 5,000 miles apart.The globalist Bio-Pharmaceutical Complex iseverywhere. It has infiltrated every medical university, hospital system, state health authority, and mainstream media corporation. It is an organized crime syndicate that strongly resembles SPECTRE.Subscribe nowShare

Summary: The world is run by a globalist oligarchy that resembles Ian Fleming's crime syndicate, as evidenced by the global, lock-step pandemic response.


BREAKING: Peer-Reviewed Study Finds mRNA, SV40, and Spike Protein Can Persist in Humans for At Least 3.5 Years After COVID-19 "Vaccination"

byNicolas Hulscher, MPHFor years, the public was falsely told that COVID-19 mRNA “vaccine” components rapidly degrade within days to weeks. Ournew peer-reviewed studyterminates that assumption.Our study,Persistence of Vaccine mRNA, Plasmid DNA, Spike Protein, and Genomic Dysregulation Over 3.5 Years Post-COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination, was just published inMedical Research Archives, the flagship journal of the European Society of Medicine.The paper describes a 55-year-old man who developed progressive multisystem illness after three Pfizer-BioNTech injections and underwent one of the most extensive post-vaccination evaluations ever reported: >40 emergency department visits, >200 specialty consultations, >100 laboratory investigations, and >100 imaging studies over a 3.7-year period.Key findings included:•Detectable circulating spike protein 1,173 days post-vaccination•Vaccine-derived spike mRNA detected in circulating exosomes 1,284 days post-vaccination•Pfizer vaccine plasmid DNA elements—including spike gene fragments (S1–S3), replication-origin sequences (ori1/ori2), and the SV40 enhancer—detected in skin tissue 1,364 days post-vaccination•Pfizer vaccine plasmid replication-origin DNA sequences (ori1/ori2) detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells 1,284 days post-vaccination•Persistent spike protein deposition in serial skin biopsies obtained at 1,160, 1,249, and 1,364 days post-vaccination•Persistently negative SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibodies across five separate time points spanning 809–1,433 days post-vaccination, effectively ruling out infection.•Multi-omic analyses at 1,277–1,364 days post-vaccination revealed ongoing immune dysregulation, transcriptomic abnormalities, and genomic instabilityThis represents the longest reported in vivo persistence of vaccine-derived mRNA, plasmid DNA fragments, and spike protein following COVID-19 mRNA “vaccination”.Large-scale investigations must be launched immediately to determine how many of the billions of COVID-19 mRNA injection recipients continue to harbor residual vaccine-derived mRNA, plasmid DNA, and spike protein years after injection.Nicolas Hulscher, MPHEpidemiologist and Foundation Administrator, McCullough FoundationSupport our mission:mcculloughfnd.orgPlease consider following both theMcCullough Foundationandmy personal accountonX(formerly Twitter) for further content.FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Summary: We report the longest documented persistence of COVID-19 vaccine-derived material to date following YEARS of investigation spanning 200+ specialist evaluations and 200+ advanced lab/imaging tests.


American COVID-19 Vaccine Debacle: 31 Million Booster Shots in 2025, Three Layers of Immunity, and Zero Accountability

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHI was terrific to join Chief Patient Officer of The Wellness Company, Dr Drew Pinsky, for this update.🎙 Dr. Drew Interviews Dr. Peter McCullough: EUA Termination, Vaccine Injury, and Medical Freedom📋 EUA Termination: More Symbolic Than Substantive?Dr. Drew opens by asking for clarification on the EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) termination. McCullough explains the regulatory timeline: the national health emergency ended March 2023 and the public health emergency on May 11, 2023 — yet EUAs persisted. Vaccine companies pivoted from EUAs to fullBiological Licensing Agreements (BLAs), making the EUA termination largely symbolic. The last product to actually receive an EUA wasPemGarda, a monoclonal antibody for pre-exposure prophylaxis in transplant patients, authorized as late as March 2024.McCullough notes that vaccines carrythree layers of liability protection: the PREP Act, EUA regulatory rules, and the 1986 Vaccine Injury Compensation Act. The EUA termination, he argues, doesn’t meaningfully change the liability landscape.💉 Who’s Actually Taking Boosters?The CDC stopped reporting actual booster numbers in 2023, relying instead on robocall surveys (National Immunization Survey). McCullough’s foundation analyzedPfizer and Moderna sales datawith standard wastage calculations and arrived at31 million boosters administered — just 8.9% of the population. His gravest concern: the majority of those 31 million may bechildren, given that 29 states mandate ACIP vaccine schedules for school attendance, starting as early as six months. Meanwhile, his own mother’s senior home in Dallas hasn’t discussed boosters in three to four years — the most vulnerable aren’t getting them while the lowest-risk populations are.🧬 Vaccine Injury: Late-Emerging PatternsMcCullough reports the acute myocarditis and cardiac arrest wave has subsided, but he’s now seeinglate neurologic injuries, venous/arterial damage, Guillain-Barré syndrome, strokes, and unusual coronary disease patterns— including single-artery advanced disease with otherwise clean vessels. He links late clotting events (2024-2025) almost exclusively tounderlying genetic predispositionslike Factor V Leiden and other coagulopathies. This underscores his point: many people tolerate the shots without issue, but those who don’t suffer catastrophic outcomes — and with proper risk stratification (spike antibody levels, genetic screening), these could have been predicted and certainly should be managed now withMcCullough Protocol Base Spike Detoxification.Dr. Drew shares his own harrowing J&J experience: full-body chills, raccoon-eye bruising, and transverse sinus thrombosis, vaccine induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) — a syndrome with a30% mortality rate. The J&J and AstraZeneca adenoviral vector vaccines were particularly thrombogenic.🔬 The Czech Data and VA Study Cherry-PickingThe only country to trackvaccinated vs. unvaccinated all-cause mortalityis analysis by Hulscher et al, and McCullough notes the data “doesn’t look good” for the vaccinated. He and Drew dissect a recent VA study claiming boosters reduced heart attacks — a study McCullough dismantled for cherry-picking (fourth booster only, flu shot comparisons, narrow follow-up windows, PCR-positive gating). The French pulled similar tricks with cancer signals. McCullough warns readers to scrutinize these conclusions carefully.💊 The Wellness Company Emergency KitsMcCullough presents data on TWC’s medical emergency kits:over 70% of owners use them, of those,96%+ derive benefit,82% improvedtheir condition within three days while adverse events were near zero, and the kits successfully prevent ER and urgent care visits.He highlightsZofranas the highest-impact drug for preventing unnecessary hospital visits by controlling intractable nausea. Dr Drew also advocates for broader doxycycline use — for tick bites, STI prophylaxis, and other indications — pushing back against antibiotic resistance concerns by noting thatlivestock antibiotics dwarf human use.🌾 Glyphosate and the Supreme CourtOn the Supreme Court blocking certain Roundup lawsuits, McCullough notes that81% of Americans have glyphosate in their urineper NHANES data citing Ospina:  “Glyphosate weighted detection frequency was81.2%“ in urine samples from a representative U.S. population aged 6 years and older (2,310 participants in NHANES 2013–2014).” He distinguishes between workers with massive occupational exposure (relative lymphoma risk ~1.4) and the general public’s dietary exposure, which he considers likely trivial.  The Donato meta-analysis Dr McCullough cited:  “The meta-relative risk (RR) of NHL for highest category of exposure was 1.49 (95% CI 0.37–2.61; 3 studies).”  Dr. Drew adds a constitutional law perspective: the Court rules on what the law says, not on what’s good or bad.Thanks for reading FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™)! This post is public so feel free to share it.SharePlease subscribe toFOCAL POINTSas a paying ($5 monthly) or founder member so we can continue to bring you the truth.AlterAImay be used to assist in searches, synthesis, and review.Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHChief Scientific Officer, The Wellness Companyhttps://www.twc.health/pages/focal-points📚 ReferencesMcCullough Foundation: mcculloughfnd.orgThe Wellness Company:twc.health/focalpointsMcCullough on X: @P_McCulloughMDBook:Vaccines, Mythology, Ideology, and RealityOspina M, Schütze A, Morales-Agudelo P, et al.Exposure to glyphosate in the United States: Data from the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.Environment International. 2022;170:107620.Donato F, Pira E, Ciocan C, Boffetta P.Exposure to glyphosate and risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma: an updated meta-analysis.La Medicina del Lavoro. 2020;111(1):63–73.N Hulscher, M Bowden, PA McCulloughCalls for Market Removal of COVID-19 Vaccines Intensify as Risks Far Outweigh Theoretical BenefitsSci. Public Health Policy Law 6, 1-17VA COVID booster cardiovascular outcomes study (critiqued by Dr McCullough)

Summary: EUA Charade, Kids Getting mRNA Shots While Nursing Homes Are Forgotten, Vaccine Mortality Data No One Wants to Discuss, Late-Emerging Vaccine Carnage, and Emergency Medical Kits Liberate


CDC Study Finds 24% of Adults Carry Alpha-Gal Antibodies Linked to Meat Allergies in Hard-Hit States

byNicolas Hulscher, MPHAnewly published CDC studyhas found extraordinarily high rates of alpha-gal antibodies linked to meat allergies among adults living in several hard-hit U.S. states, suggesting that alpha-gal sensitization is far more widespread than previously recognized.Researchers analyzed 3,000 blood samples collected from donors across 10 states between November 2024 and April 2025. Each sample was tested for alpha-gal-specific IgE antibodies, and the CDC used population-weighting methods to estimate state-level prevalence.The results were alarming:• Arkansas: 31.2%• Missouri: 26.0%• Virginia: 22.8%• Kentucky: 22.7%• Tennessee: 21.5%Across these five hardest-hit states, the average prevalence reached 24.0%, meaning nearly one in four adults tested positive for alpha-gal antibodies.While not all antibody-positive individuals have clinically diagnosed Alpha-Gal Syndrome, these findings strongly suggest that millions of Americans have already been biologically affected by alpha-gal exposure.Most concerning is that this explosion in alpha-gal sensitization is occurring alongside arecent peer-reviewed paperarguing that it is “morally obligatory” to use genetically modified ticks to intentionally spread Alpha-Gal Syndrome. Given the enormous public health implications and the scale of sensitization now documented by the CDC, an immediate FBI investigation into all possible bioterrorism-related activities involving alpha-gal dissemination is warranted.Lone-star ticks are widely recognized as a major source of alpha-gal sensitization. However, they should not automatically be assumed to be the only contributor. Another source that deserves serious attention is widespread exposure to bovine gelatin through mass vaccination programs. Vaccines such as MMR and others contain bovine-derived gelatin, and because alpha-gal is a mammalian carbohydrate associated with mammalian-derived products, the possibility that repeated exposure through widely administered vaccines contributes to sensitization can not be ruled out.The CDC’s own data now indicate that alpha-gal sensitization likely affects millions of Americans—far more than previously recognized.Nicolas Hulscher, MPHEpidemiologist and Foundation Administrator, McCullough FoundationSupport our mission:mcculloughfnd.orgPlease consider following both theMcCullough Foundationandmy personal accountonX(formerly Twitter) for further content.FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Summary: New data suggest alpha-gal sensitization linked to meat allergies is far more widespread than previously recognized.


The Lost Art of Not Knowing and the Role of Empiricism

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHFor many of Scottish descent around the globe there is something soothing about the burr.  Ellie McKay, host of the On a Mission 2.0 podcast, is Scottish. She was raised in Scotland and currently lives in Doncaster, England.🎙 Interview Summary: Dr. Peter McCullough onOn A Mission 2.0Host:Ellie McKay (Doncaster, England)Guest:Dr. Peter McCullough, NBPAS board-certified internist and cardiologist, Dallas, TexasDate:June 27, 2026🩺 Introduction and BackgroundMcKay opens by noting McCullough remains her most popular guest across over 400 episodes. McCullough outlines his credentials: training in internal medicine, cardiology, and epidemiology at the University of Michigan, with prior work focused on chronic heart and kidney disease. He’s testified before Congress, the FDA, and the European Medicines Agency.💊 The McCullough Protocol and Early TreatmentMcCullough describes developing his namesake protocol — a home-based early treatment regimen — published in theAmerican Journal of Medicinein August 2020. He argues that waiting until hospitalization was a catastrophic error. By March 2020, after participating in NIH calls where doctors described gruesome hospital outcomes, he recognized the need for day-one intervention. The protocol incorporated generic medications, nasal sprays, gargling, and monoclonal antibodies.  The protocol was not based on “certainty” it relied on clinical judgement and signals of benefit observed in 2020 and acceptable safety of well-understood products. It became the most widely used COVID treatment protocol globally, credited with saving tens of millions of lives.  The protocol became the basis of theContagion Emergency Kit offered by The Wellness Company.He recounts his own father’s case: a nursing home patient with dementia and a pelvic fracture who tested PCR positive for COVID-19 17 times over six months despite recovery. This experience exposed the PCR test duplication problem that inflated case counts.📊 Death Statistics and Data ManipulationMcCullough challenges official COVID death figures. He explains death certificates take approximately six weeks to finalize, yet media death counters updated minute-by-minute — an impossibility he questioned immediately. He asserts that a “COVID death” was simply anyone dyingwitha positive PCR test at any time, notfromCOVID. NCHS data from mid-2023 showed only half of recorded COVID deaths even mentioned pneumonia. When properly adjudicated, he estimates only 10% of reported COVID deaths in the US — roughly 120,000 out of 1.2 million — were truly due to COVID. Italian studies, he notes, suggest as low as 3%. He testified in Congress that approximately 85% of those deaths could have been prevented with early treatment.💉 Vaccine Harms and Institutional Cover-UpMcCullough reports 19,500 deaths officially attributed to COVID vaccines in VAERS, with over 1,000 occurring on the same day as injection. Citing FDA testimony from Dr. David Wiseman, he estimates underreporting at 30-fold, putting total American vaccine deaths around half a million — exceeding COVID deaths themselves.He describes myocarditis as a leading cause of vaccine death, with the first clear fatal case published in theNew England Journal of Medicinein August 2021. Despite this, Biden subsequently instituted mandates. He distinguishes acute myocarditis from subclinical myopericarditis — a subtler condition causing palpitations and dizziness that can culminate in sudden cardiac arrest, which he links to many young public figures’ unexplained deaths.Regarding RFK Jr., McCullough expresses deep disappointment. Despite writing a book about Fauci and previously recognizing vaccine dangers, Kennedy now refuses to acknowledge vaccine deaths while in office. McCullough states Kennedy told him, “I serve at the pleasure of the president, and the president wants them on the market.” McCullough argues that as a non-physician, Kennedy lacks the medical authority to make the call himself, but should have done so anyway.🧬 The Spike Protein and Long COVIDMcCullough explains that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein — a 1,200-amino-acid structure containing an HIV-like glycoprotein insert — persists in the body and cannot be eliminated naturally. Everyone who had COVID received some spike protein; everyone vaccinated received large amounts. His spike protein detoxification protocol uses high-dose nattokinase, bromelain, and curcumin, with treatment continuing until anti-spike antibody levels drop below 1,000 units/mL. McCullough and The Wellness Company developed this protocol to be generalizable and low cost to people around the globe.🔬 Origins, Propaganda, and Ongoing Cover-UpMcCullough traces the term “misinformation” to 16th-century English, its extensive use in Nazi Germany, and its modern deployment as a medical propaganda tool. He identifies six propaganda terms: misinformation, disinformation, malinformation, anti-science, anti-vaxxer, and conspiracy theorist. He describes coordinated global media campaigns — “No one is safe” (2020) and “Crisis of the Unvaccinated” (2021) — disseminated simultaneously worldwide, likely through WHO’s National Focal Points network.On lab origins, he implicates Anthony Fauci, Ralph Baric (UNC Chapel Hill), Peter Daszak (EcoHealth Alliance), and Shi Zhengli (Wuhan). He notes Tulsi Gabbard and her predecessor Avril Haines both refused to release Wuhan documents despite a unanimous congressional vote.  TheCOVID‑19 Origin Act of 2023is a bipartisan U.S. law aimed at increasing transparency about how the COVID‑19 pandemic began. It moved quickly through Congress, passing the Senate on March 1, 2023, and the House on March 10, 2023, with little to no opposition, before being signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 20, 2023. The law directs U.S. intelligence agencies to declassify and release as much information as possible about the origins of COVID‑19, including any potential links to China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology, while still protecting sensitive national security information.[congress.gov],[nbcnews.com]Finally on her last day of office, Gabbard released the goods on Fauci and his co-conspirators.🛡 Prevention and ClosingMcCullough recommends twice-daily nasal sprays and 30-second gargles as superior prevention to vaccines, citing dozens of randomized trials.  The next pandemic will almost certainly be handled by the Chief Medical Board at The Wellness Company as no one will be looking to HHS or government agencies to save them.  TWC has the expertise, alacrity, and scale to respond to outbreaks and pandemics that is unmatched in the health and wellness space.He promotes his bookVaccines, Mythology, Ideology, and Reality— a New York Times bestseller — and announces the“Healing Beyond COVID” conference on Guernsey, February 8, 2026.FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Please subscribe toFOCAL POINTSas a paying ($5 monthly) or founder member so we can continue to bring you the truth.AlterAImay be used to assist in searches, synthesis, and review.Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHChief Scientific Officer, The Wellness Companyhttps://www.twc.health/pages/focal-pointsReferencesMcCullough PA, Kelly RJ, Ruocco G, Lerma E, Tumlin J, Wheelan KR, Katz N, Lepor NE, Vijay K, Carter H, Singh B, McCullough SP, Bhambi BK, Palazzuoli A, De Ferrari GM, Milligan GP, Safder T, Tecson KM, Wang DD, McKinnon JE, O’Neill WW, Zervos M, Risch HA. Pathophysiological Basis and Rationale for Early Outpatient Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Infection. Am J Med. 2021 Jan;134(1):16-22. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2020.07.003. Epub 2020 Aug 7. PMID: 32771461; PMCID: PMC7410805.McCullough, P. (2025).Vaccines, Mythology, Ideology, and Reality.McCullough, P. (2025). Subclinical myopericarditis.European Society of Medicine Medical Archives.Verma AK, Lavine KJ, Lin CY. Myocarditis after Covid-19 mRNA Vaccination. N Engl J Med. 2021 Sep 30;385(14):1332-1334. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc2109975. Epub 2021 Aug 18. PMID: 34407340; PMCID: PMC8385564.Kennedy, R.F. Jr. (2021).The Real Anthony Fauci. Skyhorse Publishing.US Senate Hearing:  Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations--The Corruption of Science and Federal Health Agencies: How Health Officials Downplayed and Hid Myocarditis and Other Adverse Events Associated with the COVID-19 Vaccines.  Chairman Senator Ron Johnson, Ranking Member Senator Richard Blumenthal, witnesses for the majority Dr. Peter A. McCullough, Dr. Jordan Vaughn, Dr. James Thorp, Dr. Joel Wallskog, Aaron Siri, JD, and minority witness Hawaii Governor Dr. Josh Green.  Dirksen Senate Building May 21, 2025.

Summary: Real science admits uncertainty. Propaganda never does. How we forgot the difference — and what it cost us. Dr McCullough & Ellie McKay On a Mission 2.0


The Curated Evening: A Dinner Date Designed for What Comes After

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHEasily a half of men in my office have some degree of erectile dysfunction.  Many are otherwise in the prime of their lives, travelling, and enjoying the rewards of a long arduous career.  At The Wellness Company, we had this man in mind when we designed this product.🍬 TWC Tadalafil Gum: A Chewable Revolution for Spontaneous IntimacyErectile dysfunction isn’t some rare affliction—it’s the elephant in the bedroom for a staggering number of men. By age 40, roughly 40% of men experience some degree of ED. That number climbs to 50% by 50, 60% by 60, and nearly 70% of men in their 70s. Yet the standard pharmaceutical response has remained stubbornly stuck in the past: a tablet you need to plan around, swallowed an hour before anything can happen, killing spontaneity dead in its tracks.TWC’s Tadalafil Gumflips that script entirely.The genius here is the delivery system. Chewing the gum bypasses first-pass liver metabolism, meaning the active ingredients—tadalafil and vardenafil—hit your bloodstream significantly faster than any pill ever could. We’re talking minutes, not hours. A man can actually respond to his partner’s cues in real time. She gives you that look across the dinner table? Pop a piece of gum. By the time the waiter has your check, you’re ready. No awkward clock-watching. No “sorry honey, give me 45 minutes.” Just genuine, natural-feeling responsiveness that preserves the psychological flow of intimacy—which is half the battle with ED anyway.The dual-action formulation is particularly clever. Tadalafil provides the long runway (that famous 36-hour window), while vardenafil delivers a faster onset and, for many men, a subjectively firmer response. Together they cover both dimensions of the problem: preparednessandacute responsiveness.And here’s something nobody talks about:sex at bedtime is a sleep hack. Orgasm triggers a cascade of prolactin, oxytocin, and a parasympathetic nervous system shift that results in the ideal sleep pattern. Men who engage in satisfying nighttime intercourse fall asleep faster, spend more time in deep sleep, and wake up genuinely refreshed. That morning-after clarity and energy? It’s real, it’s biochemical, and it turns a good night into a great next day. Your partner notices. Your coworkers notice. You’re sharper, more present, less irritable.  Your edge is back!TWC’s gum format also eliminates the “pill bottle on the nightstand” stigma. It’s discreet, it’s portable, and frankly it’s a better user experience than choking down a tablet with water right when you’re trying to set a mood.For men who’ve been sidelined by ED—or who simply want to trade pharmaceutical clunkiness for something that matches how real intimacy actually unfolds—this product is a genuine upgrade.FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Please subscribe toFOCAL POINTSas a paying ($5 monthly) or founder member so we can continue to bring you the truth.AlterAImay be used to assist in searches, synthesis, and review.Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHChief Scientific Officer, The Wellness Companyhttps://www.twc.health/pages/focal-pointsReferencesThe Wellness Company. (2025).Tadalafil Gum.https://www.twc.health/products/tadalafil-gumDisclaimer: This review is for informational purposes only. Consult your physician before starting any new medication, particularly if you take nitrates or have cardiovascular conditions.

Summary: When every detail is intentional—including the confidence to follow her lead


The Perimenopause Reset

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHThe perimenopausal and menopausal times for women to say the least, are complicated.  So I brought in an expert to give us an update.🩺 Perimenopause and Menopause — A Hormone-Focused SummaryDr. Peter McCullough hostsDr. Jennifer Pfleghaar, a board-certified DO in Emergency Medicine and Integrative Medicine, for a deep dive into the hormonal architecture of perimenopause and menopause. Dr. Pfleghaar, author ofThePerimenopause Reset,practices virtually outside Nashville and brings both clinical rigor and hard-won personal experience — she achieved remission from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis after conventional medicine told her nothing could be done.🔬 The Physiology: What’s Actually HappeningPerimenopauseis the transitional window before full menopause (defined as complete cessation of menstrual cycles for 12 months). During this phase, the hormonal landscape becomes chaotic:Progesteroneundergoes a slow, steady decline. This is the hormone dominant in the luteal phase (second half of the cycle), responsible for calming GABA receptor binding, sleep quality, and mood stabilization.Estradiol (estrogen)does not decline smoothly — it becomeserratic and spiky. Feedback signaling from the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis degrades, producing what Dr. Pfleghaar likens to “static” in the system.The widening gap between declining progesterone and fluctuating estradiol creates a state offunctional estrogen dominance, even when absolute estrogen levels are falling.Dr. Pfleghaar emphasizes that women entering perimenopause with pre-existing metabolic dysfunction — insulin resistance, impaired estrogen clearance via liver/gut pathways — will experience more severe symptoms. She considers the menstrual cycle avital sign: heavy bleeding, severe cramping, and disabling PMS in younger years are warning signals of trouble ahead.💊 The Three-Hormone ApproachProgesterone — First LineProgesterone replacement is typicallythe starting pointin perimenopause. Dr. Pfleghaar strongly prefersoral bioidentical progesterone, taken at night, because first-pass hepatic metabolism converts it into allopregnanolone — a neurosteroid that binds GABA receptors and produces calming, sleep-promoting effects.Timing: Cyclical administration only — taken during the luteal phase (approximately days 15–28 of the cycle), not continuously.Dosing: Typically 100–200 mg compounded extended-release. Younger women may start at 50 mg while root causes are addressed.Exceptions: About 5% of women experience paradoxical agitation or excessive sedation from oral progesterone. For these patients, topical application bypasses the allopregnanolone pathway.Safety note: Oral progesterone doesnotproduce toxic hepatic metabolites, unlike oral estrogen.For women earlier in perimenopause with milder deficiency, Dr. Pfleghaar may trialVitex(chaste tree berry), contained inVenus from TWC, to support endogenous progesterone production before committing to bioidentical replacement.Testosterone — Adrenal-First, Then ReplaceTestosterone in women derives predominantly from theadrenal glands, not the ovaries. Therefore, low testosterone often reflects adrenal depletion from chronic stress or cortisol dysregulation rather than a primary gonadal failure.Workup priority: Optimize adrenal function and stress management first. Labs often show testosterone rebounding once cortisol is controlled — without any exogenous hormone.When to replace: Roughly one-third of perimenopausal women and a higher fraction of postmenopausal women ultimately need supplementation — but only after ruling out stress-driven deficiency.Administration: Topical only. Dr. Pfleghaar starts at0.25 mg topically per day, compounded in a VersaBase cream, applied to inner thigh or arm for 60–90 seconds. She rarely exceeds 0.75 mg.Why not oral: First-pass hepatic metabolism produces toxic metabolites. Oral testosterone is contraindicated.Why not pellets: Dr. Pfleghaar is unequivocally opposed to hormone pellets. They deliver supraphysiologic, uncontrolled doses, cannot be removed, and produce a crash cycle. They are, she notes, typically administered after minimal training at med spas.Monitoring: Serum testing is unreliable with topical administration. Dr. Pfleghaar usessaliva testingto assess tissue-level hormone load and correlates with symptom resolution.She highlights a critical safety point: high-dose testosterone in the absence of adequate estradiol creates cardiovascular risk — a phenomenon observable in the transgender population receiving testosterone with estrogen suppression.Estrogen — Topical, Bioidentical, and Metabolically AwareEstrogen replacement enters the picture primarily inlate perimenopause and postmenopause. Dr. Pfleghaar’s approach is shaped by the estrogen metabolism pathway framework:Pathway OutcomeGoodSafe excretion, no DNA damageBadInflammatory metabolitesUglyGenotoxic metabolites — cancer riskRoute: Topical (transdermal) is preferred. Oral bioidentical estrogen undergoes first-pass hepatic metabolism, stressing the liver and producing the “ugly” metabolites associated with DNA damage and carcinogenesis. Sublingual/troche routes are second-line because some is inevitably swallowed.Monitoring: Serum levels often fail to reflect tissue load with transdermal administration. Saliva testing reveals cases of significant overdosing — Dr. Pfleghaar describes postmenopausal patients with painful, tender breasts from excessive estrogen that serum labs missed entirely.Duration: Indefinite. Women who discontinue lose bone, cardiovascular, and cognitive protection. Dr. Pfleghaar frames this as a lifelong commitment to health preservation, not a temporary intervention.She draws a sharp distinction betweenbioidentical hormones(estradiol, progesterone) andsynthetic hormones(conjugated equine estrogens, progestins). The Women’s Health Initiative’s adverse outcomes — thrombosis, breast cancer, cardiovascular events — reflect the use of synthetics and progestins, which bind receptors but produce opposing physiological effects (e.g., progestins constrict blood vessels where bioidentical progesterone relaxes them).🔑 Core PrinciplesHormone replacement is not one-size-fits-all.Every woman’s “oven” preheats and cooks differently. Treatment must be individualized based on labs, symptoms, and metabolic context.Root cause must precede replacement.Metabolic health, stress, and liver/gut function determine how well a woman tolerates hormonal fluctuations and clears estrogen metabolites.Synthetic is not bioidentical.The distinction is not semantic — it determines cardiovascular, thrombotic, and oncologic risk profiles.Route matters.Topical estradiol and testosterone avoid first-pass hepatic toxicity. Oral progesterone uniquely delivers neurosteroid benefits.Monitoring requires the right tool.Saliva testing captures tissue-level hormone activity that serum testing misses with transdermal preparations.FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Please subscribe to FOCAL POINTS as a paying ($5 monthly) or founder member so we can continue to bring you the truth.AlterAImay be used to assist in searches, synthesis, and review.Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHPresident, McCullough FoundationFOCAL POINTS has partnered withPiqueto promote your optimal health. To learn more aboutPiqueproducts and get 20% off and free gifts today,https://www.piquelife.com/DRPETER📚 ReferencePfleghaar, J.The Perimenopause Reset. Available at:AmazonWebsite:https://www.integrativedrmom.com/

Summary: What Every Woman Needs to Know About Progesterone, Estrogen, and Testosterone Before, During, and After the Change


Spiked: How the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Turned Millions of Mast Cells and Basophils into Twitchy Histamine Bombs

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHOne of the most common post-pandemic syndromes I encounter in the office is mast-cell activation syndrome (MCAS).The ubiquitous nature of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and its ability to trigger mast cells is fundamental to understanding how long-COVID and COVID-19 vaccination can make a victim far more sensitive to many different environmental toxins (Lyme, mold, etc).🧬 Spike Protein and Mast Cell Sensitization: The MCAS Connection We’re Finally AcknowledgingZhang S, Xu C-L, Wang J, Xiong X, Wang J-H. Spike proteins of coronaviruses activate mast cells for degranulation via stimulating Src/PI3K/AKT/Ca2+intracellular signaling cascade. J Virol. 2025 May 20;99(5):e0007825. doi: 10.1128/jvi.00078-25. Epub 2025 Apr 30. PMID: 40304504; PMCID: PMC12090780.🔬 The Mechanism: How Spike Protein Hijacks Mast Cells and BasophilsMast cells and basophils are the body’s frontline sentinels — granular leukocytes packed with histamine, tryptase, heparin, and a cocktail of inflammatory mediators. Under normal conditions, they degranulate in response to genuine threats. But the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein — whether from natural infection or the lipid-nanoparticle-delivered products — fundamentally alters this threshold.The spike protein’s S1 subunit binds not only to ACE2 receptors but also toheparan sulfate proteoglycansabundantly expressed on mast cell surfaces. This primes the mast cell through several pathways:Surface-bound spike proteinacts as a persistent antigenic irritant, clustering IgE receptors (FcεRI) even without allergen cross-linking, lowering the activation threshold dramatically.Intracellular spike protein— documented in circulating monocytes and tissue-resident immune cells months after exposure — interacts with mitochondrial membranes and the NLRP3 inflammasome, keeping mast cells in a state of chronic, low-grade activation.The spike protein’s fusion peptide domain directly triggersMRGPRX2, the Mas-related G protein-coupled receptor that mediates pseudo-allergic degranulation independent of IgE. This explains why patients with no prior allergic history suddenly develop multi-system reactivity.The result is a mast cell that’shair-triggered— releasing histamine, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and cytokines in response to stimuli that previously caused no reaction: temperature changes, foods, fragrances, exercise, emotional stress.🩺 The Clinical PictureMast Cell Activation Syndrome presents with protean symptoms because mast cells reside in virtually every vascularized tissue. Skin flushing and urticaria. GI bloating, diarrhea, and unpredictable food intolerances. Tachycardia, blood pressure instability, presyncope. Brain fog, headache, anxiety that feels “chemical” rather than psychological. Throat tightness without bronchoconstriction. The spike protein’s dual residence — anchored externally AND internalized — means standard antihistamines often fail, blocking downstream receptors while upstream degranulation continues unchecked.💊 The Solution: HistaCalm from The Wellness CompanyTheWellness CompanydevelopedHistaCalmspecifically for this pathophysiology. Rather than simply competing for histamine receptors, HistaCalm takes a multi-target approach to mast cell stabilization:Component MechanismQuercetinInhibits FcεRI-mediated degranulation; stabilizes mast cell membranes; downregulates leukotriene synthesisLuteolinSuppresses MRGPRX2-mediated pseudo-allergic activation; crosses the blood-brain barrier to address neuroinflammationPine Bark ExtractPotent antioxidant (OPCs); reduces histamine release; stabilizes capillary integrity against spike-induced vascular permeabilityButterburNatural leukotriene inhibitor and mast cell stabilizer; well-studied for allergic rhinitis via petasin-mediated suppression of histamine and cysteinyl leukotrienesApigeninFlavonoid that inhibits IgE-mediated degranulation; suppresses CD40 ligand expression on mast cells; anxiolytic properties through GABAergic modulation — directly relevant to the neuropsychiatric component of MCASThe formulation addressesboththe external spike protein anchored to mast cell surfaces (quercetin, luteolin, and apigenin prevent the clustering that triggers degranulation)andthe internalized spike driving chronic inflammasome activation (pine bark extract’s OPCs and butterbur’s anti-leukotriene effects). For the millions navigating post-infection and post-vaccination MCAS, HistaCalm represents a rationally designed intervention targeting the actual mechanism rather than chasing symptoms.Thanks for reading FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™)! This post is public so feel free to share it.SharePlease subscribe toFOCAL POINTSas a paying ($5 monthly) or founder member so we can continue to bring you the truth.AlterAImay be used to assist in searches, synthesis, and review.Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHChief Scientific Officer, The Wellness Companyhttps://www.twc.health/pages/focal-points📚 ReferencesTheoharides TC, et al. Mast cells and inflammation.Biochim Biophys Acta. 2012;1822(1):21-33.Afrin LB, et al. Characterization of Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.Am J Med Sci. 2017;353(3):207-215.McNeil BD, et al. Identification of a mast-cell-specific receptor crucial for pseudo-allergic drug reactions.Nature. 2015;519(7542):237-241.Weng Z, et al. Quercetin is more effective than cromolyn in blocking human mast cell cytokine release.PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e33805.Kritas SK, et al. Luteolin inhibits mast cell-mediated stimulation of activated T cells.Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol. 2013;26(1):13-19.Schapowal A. Butterbur for allergic rhinitis.Phytother Res. 2002;16(5):446-448.Rohdewald P. Pine bark extract in cardiovascular health.Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2002;40(4):158-168.Kang OH, et al. Apigenin inhibits mast cell degranulation.Biol Pharm Bull. 2011;34(5):748-753.HistaCalm — The Wellness Company.https://www.twc.health/products/histacalmZhang S, Xu C-L, Wang J, Xiong X, Wang J-H. Spike proteins of coronaviruses activate mast cells for degranulation via stimulating Src/PI3K/AKT/Ca2+intracellular signaling cascade. J Virol. 2025 May 20;99(5):e0007825. doi: 10.1128/jvi.00078-25. Epub 2025 Apr 30. PMID: 40304504; PMCID: PMC12090780.

Summary: When your cells won't stop screaming — and why TWC HistaCalm's five-compound stack works when antihistamines fail


"That Government is Best Which Governs Least"

Happy Independence Day! I hope that all of our readers enjoy a fun and relaxing Saturday with friends and family, celebrating the many blessings that “We the People” still enjoy, despite our garbage government in Washington.The second Trump administration has revealed the vanity of placing our hope in a “better” federal government. If “We the People” are going to retain what remains of our liberty, we must focus on ways to reduce the power of the federal government to harm us.Federal power should be regarded as something akin to sewage — it cannot be improved, only contained and prevented from spilling into the healthy political ecosystems of states whose residents are allowed to flourish with minimal government interference in their lives.Prudent adults don’t want a “better” government; we want government to leave us alone and quit stealing our money and giving it to its creepy friends at home and abroad.In other words, the second Trump administration confirms the veracity of Thomas Jefferson’s famous assertion: “That government is best which governs least.”In 1775, the British MP Edmund Burke understood that there was no sense in quarreling with the North American colonies, and that the relationship could be repaired if the Crown and Parliament would go back to leaving the colonies alone.In his March 22, 1775, speech “On Conciliation with the Colonies,” he introduced the term “salutary neglect” to characterize Britain’s earlier policy. He recommended this policy marked by lax enforcement of trade laws and minimal interference. In his view, the colonies were able to achieve remarkable growth and prosperity preciselybecausethey were left alone.Burke pointed out that the colonies had expanded commerce with Britain twelve-fold since 1700, driven by the “spirit of liberty” among their inhabitants rather than by “the constraints of watchful and suspicious government.” The colonies “owe little or nothing to any care of ours,” he argued.As he put it (in his elegant, 18th century style) “through a wise and salutary neglect, a generous nature has been suffered to take her own way to perfection.” At the same time the colonies flourished, they supplied raw materials and markets that enriched the empire. The lesson was clear — leave the colonists alone and they will look after themselves and make a valuable contribution to British prosperity.Facing the Coercive Acts and the drift toward war, Burke urged Parliament to repeal punitive measures, restore the “former unsuspecting confidence,” and return to indulgence instead of coercion.Exceptionally wise man that he was, he advocated preserving what experience had shown to work. He saw no empirical grounds for believing that exerting force on the colonies would yield a constructive outcome.  A policy of coercion would cause the colonists to resent the government in London and form a “jealous” — that is, hyper vigilant—attachment to liberty.Burke’s idea of salutary neglect resembled Thomas Jefferson’s famous proposition that “that government is best which governs least” —a sentiment he expressed in his First Inaugural Address emphasizing a “wise and frugal Government” that leaves people “free to regulate their own pursuits.”Both Burke and Jefferson recognized that state overreach often backfires, while wise restraint fosters productive and creative enterprise. Burke applied this insight to try to avert crisis in 1775; Jefferson offered it as a foundational American creed.And so, while you are burning burgers and “hoisting ice-cold lagers to your laughing tackle” (as an old Zimbabwe friend describes drinking beer) spare a thought for Edmund Burke and Thomas Jefferson. The wisdom they bequeathed to us in their political writings is as applicable as ever.Subscribe nowShare

Summary: Not "better" government, but less government is the only way forward for the U.S. Republic.


NewsGuard Confronts Dr McCullough on Fauci's Vaccine Blood Clot

By Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHThe left-wing media who featured Dr. Anthony Fauci hundreds of times during the pandemic has chosen to defend him as a hero, however, most have ignored his Moderna mRNA vaccine-associated pulmonary infarction resulting from pulmonary embolism a blood clot requiring treatment with Eliquis.  Unsurprisingly, NewsGuard reached out asserting this is not a vaccine side effect.NewsGuard isn’t a news organization — it’s a ratings cartel that brands itself as an arbiter of truth while serving as a propaganda machine for vaccine industry narratives.Founded by Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz, the outfit employs “analysts” to slap red or green ratings on websites, with the red label effectively functioning as a digital scarlet letter designed to choke off ad revenue and search visibility for outlets that report any information on vaccine safety.On COVID vaccines, NewsGuard has been relentlessly one-sided. They’ve labeled any reporting about vaccine injuries, VAERS data, myocarditis in young men, or the suppression of early treatment protocols as “misinformation.” Their news pieces read like Pfizer press releases — emphasizing vaccine efficacy while downplaying or outright ignoring the growing body of adverse event data. They’ve actively worked with social media platforms and ad networks to demonetize and shadow-ban independent journalists, doctors, and researchers who raised legitimate safety concerns. The irony is thick: an organization purporting to combat “disinformation” systematically suppresses the very scientific debate that’s supposed to distinguish science from dogma. NewsGuard doesn’t guard news — it guards a false “safe and effective” narrative, and the pharmaceutical industry’s balance sheet is the beneficiary.GREGORYHowever, the article did not mention that multiple large peer-reviewed studies have found no evidence of a link between the Moderna COVID vaccine and pulmonary embolisms:https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M22-0988https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X23006825MCCULLOUGHThese two studies didnotrule out an association of mRNA vaccination with venous thromboembolism.Botton et alused a French Registry used very narrow observation windows:  “The exposure period, defined as the 3 weeks after each of the first, second, and third doses of the vaccines, was subdivided into 3 subperiods of 1 week to obtain relative incidence (RI) estimates for each subperiod. A further subinterval corresponding to the day of vaccination (day 0) was also included. All other observation times were considered as baseline periods.”Blood clots take time to develop in response to the Spike protein produced from long-lasting mRNA as Spike builds in blood and the lining of blood vessels the clots form.  Spike is found inside blood clots.  When a thrombus forms it may take weeks to months before it is large enough to cause symptoms.  In Fauci’s case the blood clot caused chest pain about six months after his shot.  That is consistent with my observations in clinical practice with hundreds of similar cases.Shoaibi et alused Medicare data evaluating 90 days before and after the primary series.  Again this is too short to fully describe the longer term risks of vaccine blood clots.  Among 3.3 million medicare recipients there were 1684 and 2622 blood clots reported after the primary series and the booster, respectively.  Because far fewer patients took boosters and the pre vaccination risk period was also a post primary series risk period, the analysis is completely invalid.  To make matters, worse the likely vaccinated authors cherry picked only 179 cases to review for causality. There are many papers such as this where bias creeps in subtly because authors and editors are fearful of promotingvaccine hesitancy.GREGORYMoreover, the article did not appear to explain how the Moderna COVID vaccine could plausibly cause a serious side effect five months later, as Fauci received his two doses on Dec. 22, 2020, and Jan. 21, 2021, and reported the infarction on July 19, 2021. As Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said in a February 2021 video released by the hospital, “There’s not been a serious [vaccine] side effect in history that hasn’t occurred within six weeks of getting the dose.”MCCULLOUGHDiscredited vaccine promoter Dr Paul Offit is ignoring hundreds of papers on the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines.  Blood clots occurring months or even years after COVID-19 vaccination represent one of the most systematically downplayed adverse events of the entire campaign. The spike protein itself—whether delivered via mRNA or adenoviral vector—is the primary pathogenic agent, and evidence has accumulated showing it can persist in tissues and circulation far longer than the "few days" narrative initially claimed. A study fromCirculation(2022) documented spike protein detectable in exosomes up to four months post-vaccination, while independent pathologists have identified amyloid-like microclots in blood samples from vaccinated individuals that resist normal fibrinolysis, as described by Pretorius et al. inCardiovascular Diabetology. These microclots, rich in fibrin and inflammatory molecules, essentially create a chronic, smoldering thrombotic state—not the acute, obvious clotting of vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT) that made headlines early on, but a subtler, persistent hypercoagulability that can manifest as deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, or ischemic stroke months after the fact. The VAERS database, despite its known underreporting limitations (commonly estimated at 1–10% capture rate), shows thousands of thrombosis-related adverse events logged well beyond the 42-day window that the CDC originally used to define "post-vaccination" complications, effectively rendering late-onset events invisible in official safety analyses.The biologic plausibility is straightforward: if Spike protein or its encoding mRNA persists in blood exosomes and endothelial cells for years, the vascular endothelium remains in a state of inflammation and dysfunction, upregulating von Willebrand factor, downregulating ADAMTS13, and promoting fibrin formation and platelet aggregation—a mechanism that doesn't shut off on a convenient regulatory timeline simply because Offit wants to ignore the truth.🔬 Spike Protein PersistenceOgata et al. (2022)—Circulation. “Circulating Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Vaccine Antigen Detected in the Plasma of mRNA-1273 Vaccine Recipients.” Documented spike protein detectable in plasma and exosomes up to several months post-vaccination.Patterson et al. (2021)—Frontiers in Immunology. Found spike protein in CD16+ monocytes up to 15 months post-infection; the same vascular-inflammatory mechanisms apply to vaccine-derived spike, which shares structural and functional properties with the wild-type protein.Röltgen et al. (2022)—Nature. Showed persistent spike antigen in germinal centers and tissues long after vaccination, challenging the rapid-clearance narrative.Brogna et al. (2023)—Proteomics Clinical Applications. “Detection of recombinant Spike protein in the blood of individuals vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2: Possible molecular mechanisms.” This study used mass spectrometry to definitively identify vaccine-derived spike protein in the blood of vaccinated individuals. Key findings:Spike protein detected in blood plasma weeks to months post-vaccinationConfirmed the spike was recombinant (vaccine-derived), not from natural infectionProposed mechanisms for systemic distribution, including reverse transcription of mRNA and subsequent spike expression in unintended tissuesDocumented spike presence in individuals with adverse events including clotting disorders, neurological symptoms, and myocarditisBrogna et al. (2023)—International Journal of Molecular Sciences. “A Possible Mechanism for SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine-Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia: The Interaction Between Spike Protein and Platelet Factor 4.” This companion paper specifically addressed the clotting question, demonstrating that vaccine-derived spike protein binds to platelet factor 4 (PF4), the same mechanism underlying heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, triggering the catastrophic platelet activation cascade seen in VITT. The implication is that any persistent spike in circulation carries ongoing thrombotic risk, not merely an acute short-term phenomenon..Yale School of Medicine / Iwasaki et al. (preprint, 2023)— Led by Akiko Iwasaki’s lab, this study found circulating spike protein in the blood of individuals with post-vaccination symptoms at extended time points. Critically, spike was detectable in some vaccinated individuals who never had a known SARS-CoV-2 infection, confirming that the vaccine alone can produce persistent spike antigenemia. The study linked spike persistence to ongoing symptoms, including neurological and vascular complaints, providing direct evidence against the claim that vaccine-derived spike is rapidly cleared.Hulscher et al (2026)—Med Archives,Pfizer mRNA and Spike protein circulating in blood in a patient with vaccine induced pulmonary embolism 3.5 years after the booster🩸 Microclots and Amyloid FibrinPretorius et al. (2021)—Cardiovascular Diabetology. “Prevalence of readily detected amyloid blood clots in ‘unclotted’ Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and COVID-19 plasma: a preliminary report.” The foundational paper identifying amyloid-like, fibrinolysis-resistant microclots—later extended specifically to post-vaccination samples.Pretorius, Kell, et al. (2022)—Biochemical Journal. “Persistent clotting protein pathology in Long COVID/Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) is accompanied by increased levels of antiplasmin.” Detailed the mechanism by which these clots resist breakdown, directly applicable to post-vaccine pathology.Grobbelaar et al. (2021)—Bioscience Reports. “SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S1 induces fibrin(ogen) resistant to fibrinolysis: implications for microclot formation in COVID-19.” Demonstrated that the spike protein itself—whether from infection or vaccination—directly induces abnormal fibrin structures.🧬 Endothelial Dysfunction & HypercoagulabilityNyström & Hammarström (2022)—Current Issues in Molecular Biology. “Amyloidogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein.” Showed that the spike protein can misfold into amyloid forms, providing a direct mechanism for the amyloid microclots observed clinically.Lei et al. (2021)—Circulation Research. “SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Impairs Endothelial Function via Downregulation of ACE2.” Demonstrated that spike protein alone—without virus—causes endothelial damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, and pro-thrombotic signaling.Bellavite & Donzelli (2021)—International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Comprehensive review of the thrombotic mechanisms of spike protein, including platelet activation, endothelial injury, and complement cascade dysregulation.📊 VAERS and Epidemiological SignalsSkidmore (2023)—Science, Public Health Policy, and the Law. Analysis of VAERS data showing thrombosis and cardiovascular adverse events logged months beyond the 42-day window used in official safety studies, highlighting the surveillance gap for late-onset events.Rose (2021)—Science, Public Health Policy, and the Law. Independent analysis of VAERS data estimating the true adverse event rate at 10–100× reported figures, given the well-established 1–10% passive surveillance capture rate.These papers collectively establish both the biologic mechanism and the epidemiological signal. Accumulating Spike protein from superimposed SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections, in my clinical experience, increases the risk even more. The Spike protein is the thrombogenic agent; its persistence is documented; the resulting microclot and macroclot pathology is mechanistically explained; and the surveillance systems were structured to miss late-onset cases.  BecauseGregoryhad the courage to inquire, he was unblocked.  Now let’s see if he publishes the truth.FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Please subscribe to FOCAL POINTS as a paying ($5 monthly) or founder member so we can continue to bring you the truth.AlterAImay be used to assist in searches, synthesis, and review.Peter A. McCullough, MD, MPHPresident, McCullough Foundation📚 Complete Reference ListOgata AF, Cheng CA, Desjardins M, et al.Circulating Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Vaccine Antigen Detected in the Plasma of mRNA-1273 Vaccine Recipients.Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2022;74(4):715-718.https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/74/4/715/6279075Patterson BK, Francisco EB, Yogendra R, et al.Persistence of SARS CoV-2 S1 Protein in CD16+ Monocytes in Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) up to 15 Months Post-Infection.Frontiers in Immunology. 2022;12:746021.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2021.746021Röltgen K, Nielsen SCA, Silva O, et al.Immune imprinting, breadth of variant recognition, and germinal center response in human SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination.Cell. 2022;185(6):1025-1040.e14.https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(22)00076-9Pretorius E, Venter C, Laubscher GJ, et al.Prevalence of readily detected amyloid blood clots in ‘unclotted’ Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and COVID-19 plasma: a preliminary report.Cardiovascular Diabetology. 2020;19:193.https://cardiab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12933-020-01165-7Pretorius E, Vlok M, Venter C, et al.Persistent clotting protein pathology in Long COVID/Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) is accompanied by increased levels of antiplasmin.Cardiovascular Diabetology. 2021;20:172.https://cardiab.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12933-021-01359-7Grobbelaar LM, Venter C, Vlok M, et al.SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S1 induces fibrin(ogen) resistant to fibrinolysis: implications for microclot formation in COVID-19.Bioscience Reports. 2021;41(8):BSR20210611.https://portlandpress.com/bioscirep/article/41/8/BSR20210611/229323Nyström S, Hammarström P.Amyloidogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein.Journal of the American Chemical Society. 2022;144(20):8945-8950.https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.2c03925Lei Y, Zhang J, Schumacher CR, et al.SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Impairs Endothelial Function via Downregulation of ACE2.Circulation Research. 2021;128(9):1323-1326.https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.121.318902Bellavite P.Renin-Angiotensin System, SARS-CoV-2 and Hypotheses about Some Adverse Effects Following Vaccination.International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2021;22(16):8745.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/16/8745Skidmore M.The Role of VAERS in Monitoring Vaccine Safety.Science, Public Health Policy, and the Law. 2023;4:48-67. https://www.sphl-journal.com/Rose J.Critical Appraisal of VAERS Pharmacovigilance: Is the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) a Functioning Pharmacovigilance System?Science, Public Health Policy, and the Law. 2021;3:100-129.  https://www.sphl-journal.com/Yonker LM, Swank Z, Bartsch YC, et al. (Iwasaki Lab, Yale)Circulating Spike Protein Detected in Post-COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Myocarditis.Circulation. 2023;147(11):867-876.https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.122.061025Brogna C, Cristoni S, Petrillo M, et al.Detection of recombinant Spike protein in the blood of individuals vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2: Possible molecular mechanisms.Proteomics Clinical Applications. 2023;17(6):e2300048.https://analyticalsciencejournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/prca.202300048Brogna C, Cristoni S, Marino G, et al.A Possible Mechanism for SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine-Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia: The Interaction Between Spike Protein and Platelet Factor 4.International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023;24(4):4057.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/4/4057Hulscher N, Schmidt V, Mörz M, et al.Persistence of Vaccine mRNA, Plasmid DNA, Spike Protein, and Genomic Dysregulation Over 3.5 Years Post-COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination.Medical Research Archives. 2026;14(1).https://esmed.org/MRA/mra/article/view/7631

Summary: Overwhelming mechanistic and clinical evidence for mRNA COVID-19 vaccine induced venous thromboembolism requiring systemic anticoagulation.


6G Will Expose Entire Populations to Largely Untested Terahertz Radiation, Enable AI Brain Chips, and Allow Through-Wall Surveillance

byNicolas Hulscher, MPHI joinedFinnerty on NEWSMAXto warn that 6G will not simply deliver faster internet—it will dramatically intensify EMF exposure while enabling AI brain chips and advanced surveillance systems.While 5G networks operate across frequencies ranging from approximately0.6 to 48 GHz, 6G networks are expected to extend intoterahertz (THz) frequencies. Under laboratory conditions, THz radiation hasalready been shownin human-derived cells and tissues to induce:DNA damage and DNA-damage signalingGenomic instabilityImpaired neural stem-cell proliferationDisrupted cell-cycle activityAltered gene expressionMitochondrial dysfunctionInflammationApoptosis and cell deathOne studyfound that THz exposure caused DNA damage, impaired proliferation, and apoptosis in human neural stem cells, with stronger effects at higher intensities and longer exposure durations.The effects vary substantially by frequency, intensity, pulse structure, exposure duration, and tissue type. These studies do not yet prove that real-world 6G exposure will cause widespread disease, but they establish serious biological warning signals that demand rigorous long-term human testing before deployment.Unfortunately, the multitrillion-dollar telecommunications industry is unlikely to adequately test chronic 6G exposure in humans before mass deployment—just as5G was rolled out without comprehensive human safety studies:And the concerns extend far beyond health. 6G is being developed to supportAI brain chipsand surveillance systems capable ofdetecting human presence, movement, and activity through walls.6G infrastructure is expected to be operational in many major cities by 2030. Sadly, politicians appear to have little understanding of the potential consequences of blanketing entire populations in largely untested terahertz electromagnetic radiation.Nicolas Hulscher, MPHEpidemiologist and Foundation Administrator, McCullough FoundationSupport our mission:mcculloughfnd.orgPlease consider following both theMcCullough Foundationandmy personal accountonX(formerly Twitter) for further content.FOCAL POINTS (Courageous Discourse™) is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.

Summary: Nicolas Hulscher joins Rob Finnerty on NEWSMAX to break down the implications of widespread 6G deployment without adequate safety testing.


The Strange Rise of Men Who Fantasize About Being Women

To understand just how twisted the American medical mind has become in recent years, check out the 2023 paperGender-Affirming Mastectomy Trends and Surgical Outcomes in Adolescentsby a team at the University of California San Francisco who documented “gender-affirming mastectomies” performed in their medical system.Gender-affirming mastectomies performed from January 1, 2013 - July 31, 2020 in adolescents 12-17 years of age at the time of referral were identified. The incidence of gender-affirming mastectomy was calculated by dividing the number of patients undergoing these procedures by the number of adolescents assigned female at birth ages 12-17 within our system at the beginning of each year and amount of follow-up time within that year. …The incidence of gender-affirming mastectomy increased13-fold(3.7 to 47.7 per 100,000 person-years) during the study period. Of the209patients who underwent surgery, the median age at referral was 16 years (range12-17) and the most common technique was double-incision (85%).What kind of a pervert would put 12-17 year-old girls under general anesthesia and cut off their healthy breasts? How is this even legal?The same twisted medical establishment that pushed the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine promoted this butchery of children. As many readers have told me,Chapter 21: Transgenderis the most disturbing section of my new book,Mind Viruses: America’s Irrational Obsessions, in which I present a history (going back to ancient Rome) of this especially irrational obsession.Subscribe nowShare

Summary: The same medical complex that pushed the COVID-19 vaccine also promoted grown men masquerading as women and the satanic butchery of children.