A new paper in the journal Science is urging people who may be thinking of using or making a DIY Covid-19 vaccine to please stop. The warning states: Please don’t, you might end up dead. Jacob S. Sherkow, a professor of law at the University of Illinois and co-author of the paper, said in a statement: “Aside from the legal, ethical, and public health issues of self-experimentation when it comes to medical innovations, it’s not safe.”
In what appears to be the first “citizen science vaccine initiative” RaDVaC, a non-profit group of citizen scientists who came together through their associations with Harvard Medical School has created a homemade vaccine for Covid-19, which they have tested on themselves and distributed to friends and colleagues. Of course, they didn’t bother with those silly trials designed to test effectiveness and safety. RaDVaC’s vaccine, which it says is to provide partial protection until an effective vaccine is found, is made from bits of protein from the virus that is unable to cause the disease. Though it’s likely safe because of this, there’s no telling how effective it is without rigorous, randomized controlled trials. What’s more, taking the vaccine could cause more widespread harm if people act less safely, believing themselves to be immune.
If your own health and well-being aren’t enough, consider that there may also be severe legal consequences for those involved in making a homemade vaccine. Sherkow noted, “We’re living in an age of vaccine misinformation. It’s one of the reasons why we have phased clinical trials for the development of vaccines and medical treatments.” He added, “As much as we’d like there to be a quick fix, the best option for you and others is to wait.”
Source: IFLScience