Addressing Anti-Vaxxer Concerns Important for Nationwide Vaccination

COVID-19 vaccination efforts could be thwarted by significant ‘anti-vaxxer’ movement and its roots must be addressed early on. The movement is driven by theories of a man-made virus and vaccination plans that allude to an obscure sinister plot against humanity, as well as the more grounded safety concerns.

First, we start with concerns on novel vaccines whereby there are allegations of vaccines capable of changing people’s DNA, as it introduces non-human DNA into our bodies - creating human ‘chimeras’.

This is likely referring to mRNA vaccines - which is indeed novel - whereby genetic material is delivered to our own cells, and by using the cells’ own machinery, viral proteins can be produced internally to illicit an immune response.

However, when referring to mRNAs (not DNAs), this genetic information is supposedly translated in the cytoplasm (the surrounding ‘space’ outside and around the cell’s nucleus), therefore, theoretically there is no need for mRNAs to enter the cell nucleus. Thus, it may negate the risk of being integrated to the host genome, and therefore, it wouldn’t be a ‘chimera’ as claimed.

Nevertheless, health officials should consider appointing experts to study the mechanism, the genetic sequence and the resulting proteins it transcribes.

It’s likely that the technology became more widely known in 2015 when The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation invested USD 52 million in CureVac, a German company specialising in the development of these types of vaccines.

Secondly, and in relation to vaccine adjuvants (vaccine mixture compounds), there are claims of “toxic metals in vaccines that change our bodies into antennae with 5G radiation”. Let’s unpack this in two parts.

The ‘toxic metals’ may be referring to aluminium-containing adjuvants, which have been used since the early 1930s to improve immune response of a vaccine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) referenced scientific research which indicates low aluminium exposure to the body for people who follow recommended vaccine schedules.

Nevertheless, researchers have reported neurotoxic effects of aluminium in humans, with reports of dementia in late stages. There are claims of aluminium ‘nanoparticles’ in vaccines crossing the blood-brain barrier harming brain cells.

Nanoparticles use in vaccines is not impossible as researchers from the University of Texas at Austin mentioned that “reducing the particle size of the traditional aluminum hydroxide adjuvant into nanometers represents a novel and effective approach to improve its adjuvanticity”. Therefore, authorities should look into this and clinical trial patients must be investigated for any signs of neurotoxicity.

However, elucidating this risk in the short-term may prove to be challenging. A study by researchers from Paris-Est Créteil University in France indicate that “poorly biodegradable aluminum-coated particles injected into muscle” can spread throughout the body and slowly accumulate in brain. Results from the study ‘strongly suggests’ a mechanism of ‘biopersistence’ that could, in time, make these particles travel to the brain i.e. risk of “delayed neurotoxicity”.

This could be a real concern given that we yet to develop significant long-term safety data from clinical trials. With ‘emergency use’ of the vaccines by-passing normal approval processes, it looks like this risk (if any) would only be further detected after the masses have used it for a longer duration.

Assuming a high level of aluminium in the brain, can this be ‘influenced by 5G’? Is this what the ‘antennae’ claims are alluding to?

Researchers from Ondokuz Mayis University in Turkey suggest that electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can damage molecules in living cells and cause ionic imbalance. This depends on its frequency and there are already reports suggesting that the frequency range of 5G network are non-ionising.

However, the researchers also quoted reports of low frequency and radiofrequency EMF “altering the permeability of the blood–brain barrier”, which may lead to build up of heavy metals in the brain. 5G has been reported to operate outside this frequency, but its likely that sceptics worry about the monitoring, regulation, and enforcement.

There are also claims of a patent based on work that was done at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to make a dye called ‘luciferase’, which, under lighting could determine if someone has been vaccinated or not.

This is likely referring to United States Patent Application (USPTO) 20190015650A1 applied by MIT. True enough, the patent application mentions that “the microneedle patch contains both vaccine and dye pigments to administer vaccine and record such administration in one application of the microneedle patch”. But there appears to be no specific mention of ‘luciferase’.

Furthermore, ‘luciferase’ is a generic term for enzymes that produce light when it interacts with a substrate. This is what gives fireflies their glow. The name ‘luciferase’ was first used by Raphaël Dubois through works done at the end of the 19th century. As for the curious choice of name, its aptly chosen after the latin adjective ‘lucifer’, which means light-bringing.

It was reported that this work was also funded by the said foundation, and according to an article in Scientific American, Bill Gates himself directly requested for the study.

There are also worries connecting vaccination and cryptocurrency, driven by claims of a patent allegedly filed by the said foundation, whereby the application number has the number ‘060606’.

A simple search at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) portal indicates that Microsoft has a patent application with the numbers ‘060606’ in it, which includes elements of rewarding physical activity with cryptocurrency.

Although the patent application doesn’t specify or limit the device type, it’s understandable for one to ponder on the kinds of activities satisfying the conditions to award cryptocurrency. Relatedly, anti-vaxxers may also worry if this technology could be integrated with the aforementioned microneedle technology.

As explained in PCMag, Microsoft anticipates using data generated from tracking brainwaves of users watching an advert or accessing an online service as a “proof-of-work”. In turn, this data is verified and cryptocurrency is awarded. It’s likely that vaccine sceptics could be questioning what kind of future that Microsoft may be envisioning.

With the widespread rhetoric of a ‘cashless’ society, brought about the inevitable digital transformation due to 4IR, one can applaud Microsoft in being a visionary, and some may go even further to imply premeditation. In any case, the impact of a global, decentralised currency on a country’s banking system and financial sovereignty has to be carefully studied.

In relation to this patent, there are claims of biometric data being connected to a ‘barcode’ that would connect individuals to cryptocurrency. The ‘060606’ patent application does mention ‘patient information’, which may or may not include biometric data but there is no specific mentioning of a barcode. More importantly, anti-vaxxers may wonder if vaccination could be considered as part of ‘proof-of-work’ under this system.

This scepticism is further driven by news of a digital “health passports” under the CommonPass system as a standard to validate a Covid-free or vaccinated traveller. This was said to help reopen borders but understandably, anti-vaxxers may relate this to the same ‘proof-of-work’ concept and see it as a reason to enforce mandatory vaccination – something greatly opposed by the antivaxxer movement.

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Ameen Kamal is the Head of Science & Technology at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research.

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.