Scientists Offering Homemade COVID Vaccines To Anyone Willing To Risk It

September 3rd, 2020

Months prior to the development of any coronavirus vaccine ready enough to enter clinical trials, the founder of a biotech company in the States had been self-administering his own vaccine. He was even publicly promoting his product on Facebook, trying to recruit any participants willing to pay the $400 he charged. Not only was a lawsuit filed against him, he was also confronted by the FDA.

This is not a unique case as several scientists around the world have been experimenting with this idea, claiming that desperate times call for desperate measures. As with most things, there are people for and against the risky work of these scientists. There are supporters who confide in their skillset while skeptics argue that no matter what claims are made, true safety and efficacy can only be tested in clinical trials. Typically, most clinical trials run under the following conditions:

• randomized: participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control
• double-blind: neither the researcher nor the participant knows which intervention is being given
• placebo controlled: a “sugar pill” with no real effect

These specific conditions are put in place to ensure that the testing of newly developed products provide the most accurate results in a way that is safe and ethical for the participants involved.

One scientist however, argued that even traditional drug development begins with testing in animals. He used this claim to compare himself and his supporters as the animals to justify the administration of the vaccine. The problem with these homemade vaccines is not that the scientists are taking it themselves, it’s that they market it with unsupported claims.

This global pandemic has created a lot of panic amongst people and so they are willing to take more risks in hopes of finding a way to protect themselves. It seems as though the scientist who charged $400 per person took advantage of this fear and used it to propel the success of his vaccine. He claims that his vaccine not only offers protection against the virus, but also treats those who are infected.

Such misleading information not only gives people false hope, it also puts them at risk of contracting the virus if they think that getting the vaccine means they can stop taking the proper precautions.