Rapid and rabid could very well describe the efforts at developing, testing and manufacturing the vaccines to combat Covid-19. Instead of the usual 10 years, vaccine manufacturers hit the bell in record time: less than a year. The rapid development can be attributed to earlier investments in new vaccine technology platforms, such as what biotech companies call “messenger RNA” and adenovirus-based approaches (yes, alien terms for a layman like me).
The rabid method by which said vaccines are described indicate an immediate shift to phase 1 clinical trials without waiting for confirmatory results from animal models if the vaccine platform was previously assessed with humans. Rapid and rabid processes were financially augmented by the government, at least in the United States, where manufacturers were able to scale up production to commercial levels, well, in exchange for a priority supply for its citizens. Dubbed “Operation Warp Speed,” this zealous endeavor to create the much-awaited “shield” against this modern day plague named Covid-19 can place it along the hallmarks of a Fast & Furious movie.
Before we all get dizzy with both the speed and intensity, a roll call of the more famous vaccines is in order. A caveat, however, is attached to this citation, as the names themselves will certainly trigger a bout of nausea. To begin with, “Sinovac” is not the vaccine; rather it is the name of the Chinese company (Sinovac Biotech) that produced “Coronavac.” And it is still different from another vaccine developed by its domestic competitor Sinopharm. The so-called US generated vaccines, “mRNA-1273” and “mRNA-BNT162b2” are manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer (teaming up with German company BioNtech), respectively. “AZD1222” is the UK vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, while “NVX-CoV2373” is created by Novavax, another American biotech company. “Sputnik V,” which sounds like a name for a spaceship or a cousin of the much-adored children’s cartoon Voltes V, is another vaccine developed in Russia. For easier recall, people and governments have opted to utilize the company names when referring to the vaccines.
The vertigo-activating elements arise from complex information on the vaccines’ efficacy and safety levels vis-à-vis their antigens, pharmacology, doses, thermal shipment, refrigeration, pregnancy and lactation comparatives, contraindications, and a host of other facts and figures. These are factors that should determine which one should our government procure for its citizens, and which one should we choose for ourselves, if we were given the choice.
The refrigeration component of Pfizer (-70 degrees C) and Moderna (-20 degrees C) is enough to elicit a perplexity in choosing them over the more affordable and easier to handle Sinovac Biotech. Since Pfizer and Moderna are first to secure an Emergency Use Authorization from the FDA of the United States, they seem to be more effective than those from China, since Sinovac vaccine was just 50.38 percent effective in late-stage trials in Brazil. Nonetheless, President Duterte announced that the China-made vaccine will be the first to land in our country as early as next month. Having been aware of an apparent yet disputable origin of the virus in China, some people will surely have misgivings about being immunized with a Chinese-made vaccine. Since time is of the essence, vaccination becomes an indispensable need of every person amid this pandemic. Thus, despite some doubts as to the veracity of the data about Sinovac vaccines, price and effectiveness, due to the conspicuous lack of transparency on the government transaction, the ordinary Filipino will have no choice, as per Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, but to take in Sinovac.
The collectivity of questions hounding the efficacy and safety levels of the vaccines, as well as their availability, is enough cause for vertigo. For even if you are perfectly still—locked down at home and reading the when’s, how’s, and why’s relative to vaccines, most certainly you will be stricken with a sensation of the world spinning, or rotating. Eventually, this will lead to dizziness, and lightheadedness and then to fear or panic. Choosing a vaccine among those available can induce unnecessary vertigo. The better choice is whether we fight the virus ourselves or we rest on our faith in Jesus Christ whose blood covers us for eternal protection. We fight by not fighting those who chose the vaccine for us, lest we lose our balance (vertigo); we fight by seeking refuge in His name! In the words of Samuel Chadwick, “confusion and impotence are the inevitable results when the wisdom and resources of the world are substituted for the presence and power of the Spirit.” To bring our unsteady gait to a stable position, let’s be reminded that whatever the vaccine and wherever its source, our true protection rests with our Heavenly Father, as promised in the Bible as 2 Chronicles 7:14 tells us, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
If our leaders choose to do these four simple things—(1) Humble themselves; (2) Pray; (3) Seek God’s face; (4) Turn from their wicked ways, then He will heal our land from this plague. No amount of vaccine can rid us of this virus unless humility, evidently not the strongest suit of this administration, will prevail and make our leaders seek His face rather than seek the pleasure of leaders of other nations, particularly China. In the end, there can be no vaccine vertigo as our choice of “shield” can be as simple as seeking His refuge as promised in Psalm 91: 9-10, which poignantly states: “If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent.” Just as rapid and rabid as the pharmaceutical companies formulated their vaccines, we might as well rapidly and rabidly choose to inoculate ourselves with the most effective vaccine of all, His refuge, as the pandemic enters an alarming phase this year.
A former infantry and intelligence officer in the Army, Siegfred Mison showcased his servant leadership philosophy in organizations such as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, Malcolm Law Offices, Infogix Inc., University of the East, Bureau of Immigration, and Philippine Airlines. He is a graduate of West Point in New York, Ateneo Law School, and University of Southern California. A corporate lawyer by profession, he is an inspirational teacher and a Spirit-filled writer with a mission.
For questions and comments, please e-mail me at sbmison@gmail.com.