The world we live in today seems vastly different from what it was 2 years ago. Surviving the COVID world has shaken us to our core. All we want right now is to go back to life as we knew it. With good reason, the vaccines look like a sure shot way to get there. One jab and we are free of all worries. We can go about our business without being bogged down by the thought of getting infected. Yes, it would be wonderful if the solution was so simple. In reality, it is a little more complicated. There are people who are in favor of the COVID shots, while a significant number of people choose to avoid it. We decided to interview those who refused to take the shots and understand their point of view. What we came across was an interesting game of monopoly played between capitalism, politics and the common citizen.
The general reason given by people is that the vaccines haven’t gone through sufficient trials. It takes years to understand the risks associated and the speed at which they were released makes people question the long-term safety. They question the FDA approvals since the vaccines were released on emergency basis. To read more about misplaced FDA trust, click here.
Another reason for a lot of people not believing in the vaccine and those who advocate for it, are examples from the past. We have below, 2 case studies where the scientists, doctors and pharmaceutical industries have failed to recognize or chosen to ignore the underlying risks of tobacco and medications.
We all know how unhealthy smoking is. Using medical personnel to support the use of such harmful products is unthinkable. However, in the 1930s, tobacco was marketed as a healthy product. Their marketing campaign included showing doctors smoking their brands. (They were actors dressed as doctors, but consumers never thought of it that way.) When people began expressing uncertainty about health impacts, ingenious marketing came into the picture. Some of the tagline included –
PHILIP MORRIS – Scientifically proved far less irritating to the nose and throat.
CAMELS – More Doctors Smoke Camel
L&M – Just what the doctors ordered
LUCKY STRIKE – To keep a slender figure no one can deny
VICEROYS – As your dentist, I would recommend Viceroys.
To know more about these brands, click here.
Finally, it was in only in 1964 that U.S. Surgeon General Luther Terry issued a definitive report that linked smoking cigarettes with lung cancer. Read the entire story here and here.
Next, let’s talk about the infamous Thalidomide Tragedy. Thalidomide was discovered and released by a German Pharmaceutical Company. This company was established and run by members of The Nazi Party. Their initial aim was to develop antibiotics for which there was an urgent market need. The demand for sedatives were high and Thalidomide was their answer. By 1960, Thalidomide was marketed as a completely safe drug for all. In addition, it was observed that it helped pregnant women with extreme morning sickness. This practice led to a more prevalent occurrence of unanticipated, and often serious, adverse drug reactions. There was a rise in children born with birth defects. The drug interfered with the babies’ normal development, causing many of them to be born with phocomelia, resulting in shortened, absent, or flipper-like limbs. It was soon discovered that the makers of the drug have ignored reports of birth defects associated with it. This stopped the distribution of Thalidomide in Germany and other countries followed suit. In the United States, it is thanks to Pharmacologist Frances Oldham Kelsey, who refused to authorize “Thalidomide” for market distribution because she had concerns about the lack of evidence regarding the drug’s safety. It is worth mentioning that she was under immense pressure from The Richardson-Merrell Pharmaceutical Co and her FDA Supervisors to allow the drug to enter the US market. Thalidomide was used in 46 countries and claimed thousands of victims before it was abolished. This gives us insight into why people refuse to believe the virtues of the COVID vaccine. If it could happen then, it can happen now.
There are many such case studies where the pharmaceutical companies have ignored or not noticed the underlying risks. The biggest concern of them all is that children are being jabbed. Questions arise if this vaccine affects fertility related issues. While the response given has been that it is completely safe, people still doubt it. Autism, ADD, ADHD and Diabetes in children along with Allergies have been on a rise since the increase in vaccines. Read here for one such story.
This does put into perspective why some people choose not to get vaccinated and why they do not want their children to be jabbed as well. Read here to know more. They do not trust the Pharma Industry, the Government and those responsible to ensure the safety of vaccines and medicines. In addition to this the introduction of Vaccine Passport and the mandatory requirement goes against constitutional rights.
At Green Schools Green Future, we urge people to do all the research, analyses facts from all points of view and be informed. We believe that children are our future and we need then healthy & fertile, any decision we take on their behalf has to be well thought out and unbiased. What risk are you willing to take? Being vaccinated or unvaccinated?
Sources:
https://www.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
https://helix.northwestern.
https://www.nature.com/
https://vaccinechoicecanada.
Blog Image Credit: Artem Podrez from Pexels
Written By: Kritika Rao
