Boos Health, Saddle Brook, NJ, USAUnited States
Also available as PDF (figures and tables appear in the PDF).
The more detailed origin stories of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are both unknown to the layperson. These unknowns serve as opportunities for misinformation messaging to the layperson. How did pharmaceutical companies create a vaccine within a matter of months to a year for a relatively new virus? Were aborted fetal cells used to make the COVID vaccines? What if there are long-term side COVID-19 vaccine effects not yet known to scientists and the public? While the internet, without a fact-checker and combined with opportunity and individual attitudes and information preferences, may flourish with misinformation and conspiracy theories. Scientists have a professional duty to publish evidence-based data in all pursuits, but recently the scientific community has spent much time educating the public in hopes of neutralizing many of the COVID fallacies we see every day on social media.
The more detailed origin stories of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the coronavirus disease- 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are both unknown to the layperson. These unknowns serve as opportunities for misinformation mes- saging to the layperson. How did pharmaceutical companies create a vaccine within a matter of months to a year for a relatively new virus? Were aborted fetal cells used to make the COVID vaccines? What if there are long-term side COVID-19 vaccine effects not yet known to scientists and the public? While the internet, without a fact-checker and combined with opportunity and individual attitudes and information preferences, may flourish with misinformation and conspiracy theories. Scientists have a pro- fessional duty to publish evidence-based data in all pursuits, but recently the scientific community has spent much time educating the public in hopes of neutralizing many of the COVID fallacies we see every day on social media.
isinformation and conspiracy theories have thrived on the the vaccine: “How did pharmaceutical companies create a vaccine within a Internet since the emergence of severe acute respiratory matter of months to a year for a relatively new virus?” M syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of this writing nearly Nowadays, COVID-19 vaccines by Moderna, Pfizer/ 64.3% of total US population received one coronavirus disease BioNTech and J&J/Janssen are approved for use in the United (COVID) vaccine meanwhile 55.3% received two COVID vaccine States. Two out of three were household names prior to the CO- doses. With a more than adequate supply of the COVID vaccine VID onset in the US.
within the US territory; why isn’t the US at 100% immunization rate? The origins of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID vaccines are Hundreds of scientists have worked for decades on both unknown to the layperson. These unknowns offer many op- mRNA technology. Initially, the premise of this technology was to portunities for misinformation messaging to the layperson. Mean- disrupt defective or missing proteins. Not only was this technology while, health care professionals and scientists, while by training a sign of hope for rare diseases, but also in oncology treatment and experience are cognizant of viral vector-based vaccines and research. Using mRNA technology was and still is a prospective recently well-informed about messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) mechanism to attack tumor cells. As of Summer 2021, Moderna, vaccines, seem susceptible to this trend. If the overwhelming ma- the International acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) jority of evidence to date is honest and accurate, why have some vaccine initiative (IAVI) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Founda- healthcare professionals refused COVID vaccines mandated by tion (BMGF) have already started Phase I experimental trials on a their hospitals and choose to be suspended/terminated from em- mRNA human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) vaccine ployment?
candidate. The mRNA HIV vaccine candidate should stimulate B cells of the immune system to generate broadly neutralizing anti- I will not discuss the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 patho- bodies against HIV.
gen. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and US Gov- ernment have yet to come to a definitive conclusion regarding its On an annual basis, scientists select up to three of the genesis. The focus instead will be on the origin of the COVID predominant Influenza virus strains and pharmaceutical companies vaccines and the controversy that besieged them.
mass manufacture an inactivated Influenza vaccine within months. The preparation and logistics required to formulate, manufacture, I would like to address a first point of contention with distribute, store, and administer to the public make and logistics cc Copyright 2022 Boos J. This is an open-access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which allows to Epidemiol Open J. 2022; 7(1): 1-2. doi: 10.17140/EPOJ-7-126 for these types of vaccines are astounding. Using this timetable administration by healthcare professionals on April 13, 2021 due comparison, mRNA COVID vaccine mass manufacturing was the to the risk of thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS) epitome of success amongst older, more onerous vaccines. Older amongst women younger than 50-years of age. However, by April vaccines took decades to design, perfect and mass manufacture 23, 2021, the FDA lifted and resolved this matter by including a meanwhile the public was able to receive the mRNA COVID vac- warning to women under the age of 50 that there are other options cine within months. This is thanks to decades of work by scientists such as the mRNA vaccine available in the market.
and relentless investors willing to risk their capital for the benefit of mankind and their pockets.
Finally, I would like to address a fourth point of conten- tion with the vaccine: “I am pregnant and there are not enough studies to Artificial intelligence (AI) is by definition machine dis- show safety to myself and unborn child.” These topics are very sensi- cernment using algorithms versus natural human intelligence. The tive and addressing a person’s health is an intimate discussion to public may not be aware that AI has disrupted drug discovery at have with co-workers, family members and friends. Nevertheless, large pharmaceutical companies and small biotech firms. I recall in I would like to bring awareness to the fact that women who had a early 2020 when Moderna and Inovio Pharmaceuticals proposed SARS-CoV-2 infection or received immunization are able to pass to make a selective and targeted COVID vaccine candidate in less virus-neutralizing antibodies to their unborn child in utero. This is than a 12-month schedule, within hours many were astounded and a great gift for the newborn, especially with the continued presence thought these companies should be reported to Securities and Ex- of the pandemic worldwide.
change Commission (SEC) for false claims to the public. Instead, the confidence to deliver came from their deployment of machine The internet may flourish with misinformation and con- learning (ML) and AI tools to select a prospective drug candidate spiracy theories but scientists must publish evidence-based data to for further research and development.
educate the public to neutralize many of the social media-related COVID fallacies we see daily. The internet, for better or worse, has Next, I would like to address a second point of conten- become a venue for those who prey on COVID-related insecurities tion with the vaccine: “Were aborted fetal cells used to make the COVID and fears. Finally, misinformation of this type and scale will as- vaccines?”. Yes, some of the COVID-19 vaccines used fetal tissue suredly generate downstream mental health impact on society due cells isolated back from the 1970s and 1980s. But, the mRNA CO- to COVID, more country-based quarantining for long periods of VID vaccines only used fetal tissue cells in the proof-of-concept time, and ultimately delay the resolution of an already devastating phase of development. To validate that mRNA was delivered from yet collaboratively resolvable disease pandemic.
the vaccine using lipid nanoparticles (LNP) into the cells; scien- tists prefer to use human cells over animal cells for proof of con-