The Los Angeles Times dropped a bombshell on October 14, 2024, with the headline, “How skipping your COVID booster could reduce your IQ.” Penned by Yale professors Ian Ayres and Lisa Sanders, the piece peddles a chilling narrative: skip your shot, and you’re not just risking a cough—you’re gambling with your brainpower. It’s a classic fear tactic dressed up as science, leaning on flimsy evidence to guilt-trip readers into compliance. But dig into the claims, and the whole thing starts to unravel—especially when you factor in the dubious track record of the vaccines themselves.

While the science behind such the vaccine remains up for interpretation, one thing is clear—public health campaigns have seen their share of creative (and occasionally eyebrow-raising) approaches to vaccine promotion. Remember the time New York City’s former mayor, Bill de Blasio, incentivized vaccines with burgers and fries.

Ah, yes, the infamous press conference where de Blasio chowed down on a greasy burger, declaring it a “delicious incentive” for getting the jab. Watching him munch away, one couldn’t help but wonder if the whole spectacle was intended to boost vaccination rates or simply boost sales at the local drive-thru. Critics quickly dubbed it the “Happy Meal Strategy,” questioning whether Americans could really be persuaded by fast food to make decisions about their health.

The event was sponsored by Shake Shack

The burger campaign was one of many quirky tactics employed across the country, from free donuts to lottery tickets. It felt like public health messaging had taken a turn into parody, reducing a critical issue to the level of a late-night infomercial. “Act now! Get your shot and we’ll throw in this burger absolutely free!”

Proponents act like the vaccines are a spotless shield, ignoring their messy reality. Myocarditis—heart inflammation—has been a documented risk, especially in young men. A 2023 Nature Reviews Cardiology study pegged the rate at 1-2 cases per 100,000 after mRNA shots (Pfizer, Moderna), with higher odds post-second dose. Israel’s health data, cited in The BMJ (2022), flagged a spike in myocarditis among 16- to 29-year-olds after vaccination—some cases severe, even fatal.

Then there’s the death toll. The U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has logged over 20,000 deaths linked to COVID vaccines as of early 2025, a signal worth probing. A New York Times piece from May 2024 highlighted over 13,000 vaccine-injury claims, including fatalities, with cases like a 37-year-old Louisiana woman dying of organ failure days after her shot.

But FREE burgers and a HIGHER IQ?

Even if COVID dings your IQ, the scare’s inflated. A 3-point drop? That’s noise—barely a blip in daily life. The NEJM editorial admits it’s unclear what it even means functionally. Yet the LA Times spins it into a catastrophe, ignoring natural immunity’s role or how risks might fade with time. It’s a cheap trick.

The Real Story

This isn’t about informing—it’s about control. The vaccines, rushed out under emergency use, carry baggage: myocarditis, rare deaths, and a trust deficit from overhyped claims. The LA Times sidesteps it all, wielding fear to prop up a faltering narrative.

Intelligence isn’t lost by skipping a shot; it’s lost by swallowing this fear-driven hype.

How skipping your COVID booster could reduce your IQ – Los Angeles Times