As the coronavirus pandemic continues to rampage around the world, new hope has come in the form of vaccines . But is the COVID-19 vaccine vegan?
This is the question a group of top vegan doctors have tackled in a video (below) – answering some of the most common concerns around the new injection.
Multiple organizations have created vaccines, with the vaccine being administered in countries including the United States and UK created by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
COVID-19 vaccine
According to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), it is ‘currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people most at risk from coronavirus’. Patients require two doses of the vaccine, at least 21 days apart.
Priority patients include health care workers at high risk. Others include people who live or work in care homes, and some people aged 80 and over who already have a hospital appointment in the next few weeks.
Vaccine questions
But the vaccine has come under suspicion among anti-vaxxers, as well as other people who have questions about it.
These include how it has been developed so quickly and whether the vaccine is vegan as it has been tested on animals.
Vegan doctors and the COVID-19 vaccine
In a bid to address these issues, a group of highly-regarded vegan and plant-based doctors have created a video discussing some of the contentious issues around the vaccine.
Among the doctors on the video are Danielle Belardo, MD., Garth Davis, MD., Mauricio Gonzalez, MD., Sondema Tarr, DPM., Angie Sadeghi, MD., Robert Ostfeld, MD., Stacy De-Lin, MD., and Avi Bitterman, MD.
One of the issues the doctors raise is that the vaccine does not actually contain any ingredients of animal origin – however, many vegans have still raised the question of whether they should take it.
‘Not natural’
According to Dr. Gonzalez, a major issue when it comes to many vegans and vaccines is the belief that vaccines are unnatural. He said: “I think that a lot of vegans distrust vaccines because they seem too sci-fi. They think this is extremely unnatural – like this is something weird and foreign.
“I would like to add that it’s actually not – it’s actually genius. It takes advantage of our natural capacities. It just enhances our natural capacity…vaccines are as natural as eating an apple.”
Dr. Sadeghi added: “I’m so glad you brought that up. A lot of my vegan friends have been saying ‘how could you promote this? This is not natural’. I would tell them that they have no idea what we have to do in the front lines.
“When you come into the ICU and you’re sick with the infection itself, you’re going to get a ton of chemicals, a ton of medications. So if you really want to stay natural, go with the vaccine. It’s the most natural thing you could do to prevent the consequences of the disease.”
Quickly developed
Another issue the doctors addressed was the speed with which the vaccine was created – and whether this should affect its safety or efficacy.
According to Dr. Davis: “One thing people have to understand is that we’ve been doing vaccines for many many years. The science behind vaccines has shown extraordinarily low long-term effects – extraordinarily low.
“Now do we know what the long-term effects are? Obviously we don’t. We haven’t had COVID-19 for a long time. But the actual mRNA (a type of vaccine) design of the vaccine has been worked on for decades. We have had other vaccine work done for covid type coronaviruses before.
“What people have to understand is that this vaccine does not go into your cells, and into your DNA, and recreate the virus. It simply creates a protein that goes on the cell that’s recognized, so it goes into your body and then it’s out. That vaccine is not in you 24 hours later. It is just simply the machinery of your own cells producing the protein. Once those cells have been attacked and killed, there are no more viruses inside your body.”
Is the COVID-19 vaccine vegan?
For many vegans, a crucial issue when it comes to the vaccine, is that it has been tested on animals. However, on balance, the doctors believe vegans should take the vaccine.
This guidance is also inline with The Vegan Society, which says: ” The definition of veganism recognises that it is not always possible or practicable to avoid animal use, which is particularly relevant to medical situations.
“In the case of Covid-19, vaccination will play a fundamental role in tackling the pandemic and saving lives. As all vaccines currently are tested on animals, at this stage it is impossible to have a vaccine that has been created without animal use.”
It adds: “We would like to make it clear that The Vegan Society encourages vegans to look after their health and that of others, in order to continue to be effective advocates for veganism and” other animals.
“As there is no plan for compulsory vaccination, it is the responsibility of each individual to make an informed decision about vaccines, bearing in mind the definition of veganism, with support from their local healthcare team.”
Vegan doctors and animal testing
Speaking about the vaccine, Dr. Bitterman says there was animal testing – as with any other medical product. Speaking specifically about the Pfizer vaccine, he says 106 animals in total were used in testing (and then killed). This breaks down into 64 mice and 42 macaque monkeys. When it comes to another vaccine (Moderna), he says the data isn’t as clear, but he believes the number to be similar.
However, he believes refusing to take the vaccine on animal testing grounds is not ‘analogous to rejection of other [animal] products, suggesting several reasons.
“Number one, you’re not creating more demand, so it’s not like when you look at cosmetic products,” he said. “If you purchase a cosmetic product that’s been tested a company that tests on animals, they have a tendency to say ‘okay we’re going to have our sales, and then we’re going to have another product that we’re going to put in the line once the sales peter out…and then we’re going to test on more animals.
“This is not how it works in pre-clinical testing for approved pharmaceuticals. The testing is already done. You taking the vaccine is not going to incentivize anyone else to test this vaccine on further animals.
“I’m not going to defend animal testing. I think it is unfortunate what happened to those animals. In many cases, if not all, the animals are euthanized…however, if you contrast that to the number of people saved, and the expected number of people saved, it’s astronomical.”
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This article is very misleading and very biased towards encouraging vegans to take the vaccine. Let me begin by saying that I am a vegan and I have worked for the UK NHS for 25 years. I have taken medicines and had vaccinations in the past and my work involves me giving patients drugs and vaccinations, so I am not against medicine! The covid vaccine is very controversial and there are many other things you should consider before having it. As you may know, many wines are clarified using a fish product called isinglass. There is no isinglass in the bottled wine, so it does not appear on the list of ingredients. I feel that the doctors are being disingenuous to say that the vaccine contains no animal products. There may be no animal products in the final syringe but like wine and isinglass, that does not mean that no animal products were used in its manufacture. If we look at flu vaccinations, these have traditionally been grown in fertilised chicken eggs. Over one billion eggs are used for this each year. We all know the horror of the egg industry so I need not repeat that here. The vaccine flucelvax tetra is the only flu vaccine not made in eggs. It is made using cells from a dog’s kidney. Now whilst that’s not nice for the dog, these cells were taken in the 1960s and have been grown in laboratories since, so I would argue that using one dog once several decades ago is better than using a billion eggs each year. Other vaccines are grown in cells from a human foetus, which again was taken in the 1960s and grown in labs since. However some people are very uncomfortable with using foetal cells and this is why they refuse to have those vaccinations. I have no idea what type of cells the covid vaccine is grown in. It is true that the vegan society says medicines are exempt but at what point does something become a medicine? Is a vaccine a medicine? If you do not take a medicine you become ill but if you do not have a vaccination, there is nothing to say you will definitely catch the disease. Indeed there is no guarantee that a vaccine will stop you catching the disease. Completely unrelated to its vegan status is the controversy that the covid vaccine has not been thoroughly tested and that the government has identified the manufacturers from legal action. Why has it been given this unusual exemption? If it is safe, why do they need to worry about legal action? And then there is the even bigger debate about how serious coronavirus is, with some reports saying that the number of cases are misreported and that 99.7% of people make a full recovery, but that’s a debate for another page.
Hi Stephen,
Thank you for your comment.
Please note that we covered most of the common issues vegans have with the vaccine and gave information on organisations like The Vegan Society and their stance on the vaccine – “We would like to make it clear that The Vegan Society encourages vegans to look after their health and that of others, in order to continue to be effective advocates for veganism and” other animals.
I really do wish these articles could be more direct a bit and use laymans terms, I am still none the wiser
https://www.corbettreport.com/futurevaccines/
Best is to take care of your immune system and eat right. watch this https://www.corbettreport.com/futurevaccines/
people who are allergic to shellfish are having severe allergic reations to the vaccine. you can conclude from that that they put shellfish in it.
even if they didnt i wouldnt have gotten the vax anyway. it’ll be just as useless as a flu shot.
If there was a vegan alternative, I would choose it. Unfortunately, there is not. I strongly believe that the Covid vaccine is the only way out of this mess. So yes, I agree with it and will get vaccinated if I get a chance.
there is no alternative expect the support and strenghten your immune system inhttps://www.corbettreport.com/futurevaccines/
Saying this “If there was a vegan alter native, I would choose it,. Unfort unately, there is not.” This is way too easy. it to you to write to your governements and tell them your concertn about giving the OK to non aniaml cruelty anything. Take action ! (As far as I’m concerned, no animal will ever suffer for me, ever since I’ve retired. I do stay home at all times, everything is being delivered to my door (groceries, my pet food and litter, etc…) So I c«an avoid any vaccines/remedies for anything. (I live alone with 2 cats).
?
Hi, can I ask what you feed your cats – I am considering getting a cat but was under the impression that they are unable to digest vegan food and would therefore require meat/fish? Thanks
The test is whether it is a matter of vital — life-or-death — necessity (taking the covid vaccine is) or it is just a matter of taste or habit (like virtually all the other suffering we cause in animals).
And the answer is a no-brainer. Take the covid vaccine and get back to the struggle to end animal suffering. Don’t give those who cause animal suffering just for taste or habit the excuse that veganism means renouncing the benefits of medicine. It doesn’t.
This experimental vaccine is not only not vegan ,it is a crime against humanity. https://www.corbettreport.com/futurevaccines/
Human beings are not Animals and not guinea pigs. Even non-vegan should avoid it. There is enough material to educate yourself. It can be found even if most of it is censored in mainstream media, which is also a sign that something is very wrong.
Apparently Medicago from Quebec is developing a vegan vaccine which is apparently scheduled for Phase 3 stage of testing in Dec 2020. Not sure when/if it will be available. Gov’t of Canada has apparently purchased 76 Million doses.
wow!
Wow, ..No longterm side-effects? Where do you guys research??? Just go to all the special schools around your area, and you’ll see many, many children who suffer vaccination injury, my son included. It isn’t rare, it happens far more than people realise as it is hidden behind other names like Globally Developmentally Delayed. ADD, autism, childhood leukaemia etc.
Thank you so much for this. After listening to this super informative video, I am ashamed to think I was contemplating avoiding the vaccine. Brilliant job and I am so glad to have found it. Respect.
They just say vaccination is as natural as eating an apple… I have to laugh. Don’t drink the chemical Kool aid.
rNA vaccines are a new monster of a technology. These are not what we have known in past generations. They alter our dna, for generations to come. These have NOT been tested long enough for us to know the real effects, especially on fertility.
Not only several viral diseases come from laboratories which use animals for testing, but then they use more animals to test vaccines. You call that “vegan” ??
No way I will be putting the vaccine into my body! Poor creatures. Poor humans ???? wake up
What about the other vaccines ? Its now looking like in UK and Australia we won’t be offered the Mrni vaccines :-/
I was all ready to take either one of the vaccines that the doctors talk about in the video but we will be getting the AstraZeneca vaccine. Its made from a modified chimpanzee virus.
Does that mean chimps in cages being made ill and then killed ?
Will demand for this vaccine mean more chimps suffering in cages, or now that they have it- that’s the end of it ?
This from wiki – AZD1222, also known as the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine, Covishield, or ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is a COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca given by intramuscular injection, using as a vector the modified chimpanzee adenovirus ChAdOx1. Wikipedia
I have non-hodgkins lymphoma (started 15 years ago). I was diagnosed at stage 4 12 years ago. Became a vegan 11 years ago and my cancer was markedly reduced. My decision was based on Colin Campbell’s China Study regarding immune system inability to combat cancer in animal protein. I consumed a small amount of animal protein over a 2 month period 7 years ago and my lymphoma immediately transformed into aggressive growth. It required a full 6 months of chemo and 28 rounds of radiation to reach remission. I am continuing to do well with normal blood now for the past 7 years of full vegan. My concern relates to what the mRMD vaccines will do to my immune system and my continuing battle with large B cell lymphoma. I am 71. . .
I am a whole food plant based vegan and I do care about the welfare of animals. That said, when you are dealing with a pandemic, the welfare of the human race would have to take precedence. Many medicines are developed because of the unwilling contributions of animals. It’s unfortunate and sad, but necessary. I am more appalled at how animals are processed for consumption. I do not begrudge people for eating animal protein. But I do have issues with how we process animal products. I would not hesitate to take the vaccine when I can get it. Plant based life is becoming more mainstream which is a really wonderful thing. But I can not bring judgement, just like I don’t want non vegans judging me. My health is my primary focus, and maintaining a healthy environment to live in is right up there also.
Hi, just wondering if it’s really necessary to test these vaccines on animals in the first place? There must be some kind of alternative? Why do they have to be euthanized after testing? Their lives are also important.
This vaccine is trash and it is tested on animals.
Doctors are simply brainwashed by the government ‘education’ system so who cares wtf they say.
This vaccine is killing and maiming people all over the world.
How many animals were killed during the development of this vax?
F*ck doctors and f*ck their fake science and their never ending excuses and justifications to lock down and vaccinate the world over a virus with a 99.98% survival rate.
This is the biggest hoax since 9-11.
What is the source of the Cholesterol in both brands of covid19 vaccine?
What is the source of the cholesterol in the vaccine?
What is the source of the cholesterol in the vaccine?
The Covid 19 Vaccine is not vegan. please see proof on following link https://www.yahoo.com/news/covid-know-indias-coronavirus-vaccines-042119331.html
The vaccine, which is known as Covishield, is made from a weakened
version of a common cold virus (known as an adenovirus) from
chimpanzees.click https://www.yahoo.com/news/covid-know-indias-coronavirus-vaccines-042119331.html
This article misleads by failing to differentiate between vegan
production and vegan ingredients. The AZ AZD1222 (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19)
product uses human embryonic kidney T-Rex 293 HEK cells for virus
propagation during manufacturing. Throw in that it uses a chimp virus as
a vector and you might as well redefine “vegan” while you are at it.