Unmasking the VA’s Unethical Experimentation

How Veterans Were Manipulated into Taking an Experimental Pseudo Vaccine

A Counseling Tool Turned into a Weapon of Manipulation

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a well-respected counseling method designed to help individuals find their own inspiration for positive change. Rooted in empathy and respect, MI empowers people to make informed decisions about their health; however, recent revelations have exposed a disturbing misuse of MI at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities.

Ethical boundaries were broken and veterans were exposed to psychological manipulation.

The VA twisted MI principles to coerce Veterans into accepting an experimental gene therapy—the COVID-19 pseudo vaccine. It appears this was done without the Veterans’ informed consent, raising serious ethical questions about the integrity of both the MI approach and the public health efforts it was used to support.

A Hidden Research Agenda… Dark Purpose?

Documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request reveal that the MI training program at the VA was part of a broader research project aimed at increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake among Veterans. This study, now identified as “Developing and Testing a COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Intervention”, was conducted across various VA Medical Centers (VAMCs). The project used MI and other strategies to address vaccine hesitancy, all under the guise of routine care.

The study was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs through the Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) program, which typically aims to improve healthcare for Veterans. However, in this case, federal resources were used to fund a project that seems to have manipulated Veterans into accepting an unproven and potentially dangerous treatment.

For more details about this study, you can refer to its listing at clinicaltrials.gov.

Testing COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance

To better understand the issues at hand, it’s crucial to examine the specific study in question: SDR 21-141, formally titled “Developing and Testing a COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance Intervention.” This study was conducted as a cluster-randomized controlled trial with the primary goal of increasing COVID-19 pseudo vaccination rates among Veterans, particularly those who were hesitant or lacked access to the vaccine.

Study Design and Implementation: The study targeted Veterans within the Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) 16 and 21. Entire VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a usual care group. The intervention group implemented a Vaccine Acceptance Intervention, which utilized MI techniques specifically designed to address vaccine hesitancy.

Key Intervention: The MI sessions were a central part of this study, aimed directly at influencing Veterans’ decisions regarding vaccination. These sessions were structured to address specific concerns and to actively promote vaccine acceptance, moving beyond traditional care practices.

Veterans as Unwitting Subjects: Timeline

Here’s where it gets worse: entire VAMCs were randomized to either receive the MI intervention or continue with usual care. This setup means that all Veterans at the intervention sites were likely exposed to MI sessions designed to push them toward accepting the pseudo vaccine. The most damning evidence? The informed consent process appears to have been conducted after these interventions were already administered.

The informed consent form, as shown below, suggests that Veterans were asked to consent to participate in the study only after they had already been subjected to the MI sessions and possibly even after receiving the vaccine. This is not just an oversight—it’s a clear violation of ethical standards, where the experiment was conducted before securing informed consent.

Why MI Was the Experimental Intervention

In this context, MI was not simply a routine counseling method but an experimental intervention designed to manipulate Veterans' decision-making processes concerning the COVID-19 vaccine. The MI sessions were part of a targeted strategy to reduce vaccine hesitancy, making them a central component of the study's intervention. The experimental nature of MI in this setting lies in its use as a tool to alter behavior specifically for research purposes, with the goal of increasing vaccine uptake among a population that may have been resistant or ambivalent.

The VA itself distinguishes MI from regular care, emphasizing that MI is a specialized approach used to elicit behavior change in a way that differs from standard healthcare interactions. While regular care might involve providing information or advice, MI focuses on guiding individuals to resolve their ambivalence and take action, often using subtle psychological techniques to influence decision-making. This distinction is critical because it highlights MI’s role as an intervention rather than routine care, further underscoring why its use in this study constitutes an experimental approach.

The VA’s Misleading Vaccine Video

Adding to the ethical concerns is a video produced by the VA titled “Moving to COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance: A Clinical Interaction.” This video, created in early 2021, was intended to showcase how healthcare providers could use MI techniques to encourage pseudo vaccine uptake among veterans; however, it’s filled with misleading information and coercive tactics.

In one segment, a healthcare provider overstates the vaccine's ability to prevent transmission, telling a veteran that getting vaccinated will "reduce the likelihood that the person getting the vaccine will spread the infection to others." This kind of exaggerated claim is not only inaccurate but also directly contradicts the core principles of MI, which emphasize providing truthful, transparent information to support informed decision-making.

The video essentially turns MI into a tool for persuasion rather than genuine empathetic engagement, further compromising patient autonomy and eroding their trust in the healthcare system.

The Violation: Not Just Words, But Injections

The use of MI in this context is particularly troubling because it wasn’t just about convincing veterans to change their minds—it was about pushing them to accept an experimental gene therapy. The COVID-19 pseudo vaccine rolled out under emergency use authorization, was far from fully vetted. Using psychological techniques to convince veterans to accept this experimental treatment without their informed consent is a gross violation of their rights.

This isn’t just about an unethical counseling session—it’s about manipulating vulnerable individuals into receiving a medical intervention that could have serious, long-term consequences.

Informed Consent Form: A Glaring Ethical Breach

Below is a snapshot of the informed consent form used in this study. What’s shocking is that this section of the form proves that veterans were asked to consent to the study only after they had already been subjected to the intervention.

This form reveals a glaring ethical breach: Veterans were manipulated into participating in a study and exposed to an intervention before they were even informed or asked for consent. The absence of clear communication about the MI sessions and the experimental vaccine in the consent process is deeply troubling and constitutes a serious violation of their rights.

An Unforgivable Breach of Trust

These findings suggest that the VA didn’t just cross an ethical line—they obliterated it. Veterans, many of whom already carry the scars of service, were manipulated into accepting an experimental pseudo vaccine through psychological tactics, and they likely weren’t even aware they were receiving an experimental intervention.

We may have uncovered evidence that the VA was experimenting on veterans without their consent. This is a profound betrayal of trust, and it’s something that cannot go unanswered. It’s time to hold those responsible accountable and ensure that such unethical practices never occur again.