The National Football League Players Association is being urged to create a screening program to determine if the COVID-19 vaccine has had any adverse health effects among players.

In a letter sent to the NFLPA on Jan. 27, and obtained by The Epoch Times, the Health Freedom Defense Fund cited increased cases of cardiac complications and requested that the NFLPA take steps to protect the health and well-being of players.

The @NFLPA is being urged to offer players cardiac screening in light of growing concern over #COVID19 vaccines causing heart inflammation.@theHFDF's @LeslieManookian urged the association in a recent letter to implement screening because the vaccines can cause myocarditis👇 pic.twitter.com/tpE69oo3Hz

— Jan Jekielek (@JanJekielek) February 16, 2023

The fund specifically pointed out multiple NFL players who have suffered such medical emergencies, including Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who gained national attention after suffering cardiac arrest on-field during a game in early January.

"Our concern is heightened by a growing body of scientific evidence documenting elevated cardiac mortality, myopericarditis, and other cardiovascular events in young adult males post COVID-19 vaccination," the HFDF said on their website.

"As such, we have requested the NFLPA develop a set of functional medical protocols and treatments in order to address and heal any deleterious effects of the vaccines.

"We call on NFLPA to protect the health and well-being of NFL players by urgently offering a testing and screening program to players."

The letter was written by Leslie Manookian, the president and founder of the HFDF, and addressed to DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFLPA.

In the letter, Manookian cited eight studies, which found an increase in cases of pericarditis and myocarditis after people received the COVID-19 vaccination.

These diagnoses were most prominent in primarily young men.

The health effects following vaccination, Manookian said, were validated by both the FDA and CDC, who both previously issued warnings of increased risk of myocarditis and pericarditis.

Manookian acknowledged the possibility that these cases were tied to COVID-19 infection rather than the vaccine itself but noted that a study of 600,000 adults found no such connection.

"Safety signals illustrate that the near and long-term health outcomes of the COVID-19 vaccines remain uncertain … and as such, prudence dictates that the NFLPA investigate the extent to which the COVID-19 shots may have resulted in injury, compromised health or death of players," Manookian wrote.

"As such, we are requesting that NFLPA commence a testing and screening program to determine whether players have been adversely affected by the injections and to develop a set of functional medical protocols and treatments in order to address and heal any deleterious effects of the vaccines."

She added later, "We also respectfully request that the NFLPA call for the suspension of NFL player COVID-19 vaccine mandates until possible subclinical cardiac issues can be assessed."

Manookian requested a call with the NFLPA's head by Feb. 8 but has not yet been given a response.

According to The Epoch Times, the letter was sent by both mail and email.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.