Traditionally, it takes 15-20 years to develop a vaccine and get it to market. Normally, regulators require vaccine manufacturers to show their product safe before using it on people, and general it’s tested on lab animals before putting humans at risk with an unknown and untested vaccine. However, the current coronavirus pandemic has changed the world, and researchers are racing to have a coronavirus vaccine available.  Does this sound safe?

Due to that race to have a coronavirus vaccine, a COVID-19 vaccine produced by Cambridge, Massachusetts biotech company Moderna is being rushed to the market and skipping the usual procedures of animal testing before use on humans. In fact, the clinical trial already started recruiting back in early March while the team continues to work on nonclinical research at the same time.

This coronavirus “solution” could be far worse than the virus

According to Moderna’s chief medical officer, Tal Zaks, they don’t believe that proving the vaccine first in animal models is the right path to getting the vaccine to a clinical trial. And while it shows the urgency to develop a coronavirus vaccine, rushing to market is both unusual and concerning.

Some experts in the field of ethics worry that the pressure to create new vaccines may result in suspending normal rules, rights, and standards of ethical conduct.  Another worry – the technology Moderna’s using to create the new vaccine so quickly has never yielded an immunization in the past that’s even made it to market.

Traditional vaccines often use a weakened pathogen or proteins from a pathogen’s surface to help the body learn how to fight off the infection. Moderna’s trendy technology involves creating a lab-made concoction designed to make the body make its own virus-like bits so it starts to train itself to combat the virus.  It’s a novel idea, yet it’s one that has not been proven effective by this company in the past.

Past vaccine research on SARS-CoV vaccines tells a cautionary tale, too. While the previous SARS-CoV vaccines did induce antibody and protection against infection of the virus, dangers discovered in animal testing led to the conclusion that caution should be taking in proceeding to use the SARS-CoV vaccine in humans.

Should we use human beings as guinea pigs?

Of course, we’ve known about vaccine dangers for some time, and in the past vaccine testing and approval procedures have been called into question. The truth is, humans become the guinea pigs. Vaccines are known to include harmful substances, such as mercury and aluminum – both known neurotoxins. Side effects of vaccines have included neurological problems and autism, not to mention the link between immunizations and autoimmune disorders, as well.

As new coronavirus vaccines are raced to the market, it’s essential to remember that most candidate vaccines actually fail. And some methods of testing are being skipped as the pandemic pushes the urgency for a fast cure.

No doubt, it’s something to consider before having the new “solution” administered to you once it’s available.

by Joy Jensen


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