No, Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccine development was not “reckless.”

Dr. Jane M. Orient, Arizona Physician Testify before Congress On Tuesday, pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Pfizer expressed concern about the new scientific method used to develop the coronavirus vaccine and the ongoing demand for widespread vaccination.

“It seems reckless to encourage people to take risks when they don’t know what the risks are,” Dr. Orient said this week. Interview with The New York Times.. “People’s rights should be respected. In this regard, where is” my body, my choice “? “

Pfizer and Moderna certainly depend New scientific method For their vaccines, they build them around a molecule called messenger RNA, or mRNA. It is a natural genetic material that directs the production of proteins in human cells. However, the concerns raised by Dr. Orient, who led the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons and was previously criticized for promoting sentiment towards vaccines, are not supported by the wealth of scientific evidence to date.

Neither vaccine has yet been approved for widespread use by the Food and Drug Administration, but both products have been thoroughly and carefully tested in clinical trials.The initial data is They are about 95% valid Neither show serious side effects by protecting people from the onset of Covid-19.

Both Pfizer and Moderna have applied for an emergency vaccine license from the FDA. On Thursday, authorities reviewed Pfizer’s case and many experts expect the product to win approval. Urgent approval of Moderna’s vaccine will probably continue next week.

Approval launches a series of vaccination campaigns. Extend until 2021.. Mass vaccination, which is most likely to reduce pandemic deaths and delay the spread of the disease, is an important step in the fight against the coronavirus.

Padmini Pillai, a vaccine researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said: “And based on the data, the virus kills, but the vaccine does not.”

The mRNAs of these vaccines contain a blueprint for the proteins on the surface of the coronavirus. Produced by cells, this protein acts like a molecular mugshot that teaches the immune system about the most memorable features of the coronavirus. This prepares your body to fight the real virus.

This process more or less mimics what happens when a virus infects a cell. It also has to unload the gene cargo and force the cells to release the protein. However, unlike viruses, mRNA is not infectious and cannot cause cells to produce the virus that causes active diseases. Molecules are also fragile and do not stay in the cell long after being “read” to make proteins. Researchers have no reason to believe that it leaves a lasting mark on the human body, other than strengthening its defenses against infection.

Pfizer vaccine has already been granted Urgent approval In England. And Moderna’s product will be the world’s first fully licensed mRNA vaccine, a similar vaccine that has been developed for decades.

Neither vaccine has caused serious side effects in clinical trial volunteers. Many recipients experience mild symptoms such as headache, mild fever, malaise, and pain after injection, but “it simply means that the immune system is functioning,” Dr. Pirai said. Told. “Ten tens of thousands of people are safely vaccinated.”

The FDA and equivalent agencies in other countries take safety seriously when considering whether to stamp a vaccine for approval. Researchers will also continue to pay attention to unexpected side effects as more people are vaccinated. So far, Dr. Orient’s skepticism seems groundless.

Dr. Orient also garnered criticism of her robust defense of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for Covid-19, despite overwhelming evidence that the drug has little benefit. Can harm the people who receive it..

She will attend a hearing focusing on Covid-19’s home care in front of the Senate Department of Homeland Security and Government Affairs on Tuesday. She told the Times this week that doctors sent patients home too often to survive the illness.