No Microchip In Covid-19 Vaccines: Microchip Associated With Covid-19 Debunked

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted lives and livelihoods across the world, and these have come with their attendant misinformation and misinformation about the vaccines being developed for treatment and ultimate cure. Indeed, the rapid development of the coronavirus vaccines has made them a target for hesitancy and myths, which contributes to distrust of vaccinations, potentially discouraging people from getting vaccinated. Among the myths that arose during the onset of the pandemic was the microchip conspiracy theory, which surfaced in May 2020 after Bill Gates announced the creation of a digital certificate to track people who received various vaccines ( 1 ). What is the science behind this conspiracy theory, and how true is it?

On December 8, 202 1 , the Association of African Universities' TV programme, The Covid-19 Diary (an initiative that seeks to produce good science communication stories and media products on emerging diseases that are factual and impactful), with funding coordinated by the National Research Foundation of South Africa hosted a webinar to debunk some of the myths surrounding the novel coronavirus.

Dr. Aaron Tetteh-Ahinakwa, Vice President of Novavax and Assistant Professor at John Hopkins University USA, expertly debunked the microchip theory with explanations of scientific processes that lead to the development of vaccines, noting that “vaccines go through a rigorous check to make sure that everything that goes into it complies with the FDA regulations”.

The first process that a vaccine goes through, according to Dr. Aaron Tetteh-Ahinakwa, is the Research and Discovery (RnD) stage where scientists collaborate to develop a vaccine rationale based on how an infectious organism causes a disease. They conduct laboratory research to put their vaccine candidate idea to the test and to find the lead compound that will lead them to the vaccine being developed. Once a scientific finding is thought to be feasible for the development of a vaccine, the research proceeds to the next stage known as non-clinical studies, in which the product is tested on animals such as monkeys and rats, also known as non-human primates (NHPs). Monkeys, as the closest species to humans in terms of biological make-up, have a higher degree of sentience than many other species, and as a result, they are rarely used in medical research according to the European Animal Research Association ( 2 ).

Nonclinical studies aid scientists in gaining knowledge about how a vaccine works and determination of its safety and effectiveness in applications to humans. Upon completion of the tests and satisfactory results, scientists in the US compile the findings and other preclinical testing and submit them to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a regulatory authority that has oversight of the safety, effectiveness, and quality of vaccines, as an Investigational New Drug (IND) application ( 3 ). Drug applications known as the clinical development stage overseen by the FDA are then conducted in humans, and they typically span three phases.

In explaining the process further, Dr. Aaron Tetteh-Ahinakwa noted that if the studies in humans are approved, they now collect information on the drug's or vaccine's safety and efficacy. Prior to determining the vaccine's safety and efficacy, a phase one study is conducted, which involving a small group of volunteers (between 20 and 100) who have never been exposed to the disease under study and are otherwise healthy. These studies are used to determine whether there are adverse reactions with increasing doses and, if possible, to gain early information about how well the vaccine works. If the result is very satisfactory, then a phase two study, which involves more people with typically varying health statuses and demographic groups, in randomized-controlled studies, is conducted. These studies add to the body of knowledge about common short-term side effects and risks. If the results are still very good, scientists then proceed to a phase three study in which the vaccine will be administered to thousands of people in order to generate critical information on effectiveness as well as additional information about immune response. According to Dr. Aaron Tetteh-Ahinakwa, the FDA sometimes approves a phase four study for further research.

After all of these stages have been completed, scientists submit a Biological License Application (BLA) to the FDA, requesting permission to distribute and market the vaccine for use. Scientists provide animal studies, human studies, clinical studies, and the chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) of the drug or vaccine during this stage. These findings and studies are presented to a panel of experts who determine the lethal level and dosage of the vaccine, and ultimately decide on a recommendation for the vaccine's approval. These distinguished experts include physicians, chemists, statisticians, toxicologists, microbiologists, post-marketing safety experts, clinical study site inspectors, manufacturing, and facility inspectors, and labeling and communications experts.

If fully satisfied, the panelists dispatch experts to the manufacturing sites to investigate and quality-check the facility through a checklist of standards such as hygiene and temperature before the vaccine or drug is finally approved. Dr. Aaron Tetteh-Ahinakwa added that in most cases, the products are manufactured in bulk, and manufacturers have no idea of the final destinations of the products when finally approved and so given the vaccine inception to completion stages up to the shipment stage, there cannot be lapses to sneak in any microchip targeted either to humankind or any group of peoples.

Vaccines, like any other drug, have advantages and disadvantages, even when they are extremely effective. Although the vaccine development process and FDA evaluation are rigorous and thorough, there is still a need for ongoing surveillance of vaccines after FDA approval to identify unusual adverse events or long-term complications that may occur, as well as to monitor effectiveness ( 4 ). Following the approval of a new vaccine, changes to the vaccine manufacturing process or product labeling information may occur. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one of the most important elements in ensuring that vaccines of consistent quality, safety, and efficacy are distributed after authorization or licensure is the regulation of changes to approved vaccines ( 5 ).

Author: Isabella Tetteh Ahinakwa (Host and Producer, Association of African Universities)

SOURCES CITED.

1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2021/05/09/as-covid-19-vaccine-microchip-conspiracy-%20theories-spread-here-are-some-responses/?sh=5ca7995c4be6 https://www.eara.eu/monkeys-and-animal-research
2. https://www.fda.gov/files/vaccines,%20blood%20&%20biologics/published/Ensuring-the-Safety-of-Vaccines-in-the-United-States.pdf
3. https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/development-approval-process-cber/vaccine-development-101
4. https://www.who.int/biologicals/vaccines/Annex4_Guidelines_changes_to_approved_vaccines_eng.pdf