Part I
“Research is an utterly essential and desirable component of treatment. But it’s subject must be aware that they are participating, must be informed, must consent and must be allowed to weigh the possible risks and benefits.” From Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington. The people in the first wave of the COVID vaccine trials are part of an experiment because the scientists do not know with any certainty that these new untried vaccines are actually effective. Washington goes on to warn that the news media will often ‘swallow whole’ the euphemisms of ‘breakthrough’ or ‘new therapy’ for what is in reality an untried treatment.
We are not saying the vaccine makers should not release it, nor saying that people should not take them. What we are saying is that the vaccine makers, reporters, and government officials should be more forthright indirectly saying that these vaccines are still in the experimental phase.
In the fervor and excitement about Covid vaccines, pause and take a moment to read or even listen to an excerpt of the book Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington. https://youtu.be/rd9RlHPoOVU
The introduction chapter and the historical role of Pfizer should make all of us take a pause at this moment. While the whole book is worth listening to Chapters 11 through 25 and the
epilogue are the most important to digest. Ask yourself when in the history of America and medical science have African Americans been offered premium, gold standard medical care let alone ushered to the front of the line to get it?
We knew as soon as it was stated that no one could be with COVID-diagnosed patients in the hospital that black people would be in trouble. The whole professional lives we have shown up at hospitals as Dr. Jones or Dr. Rolling to be advocates for our non-white friends and colleagues to ensure they get the best care possible. Many of us cringed reading the story about Dr. Susan Moore, family physician, University of Michigan Medical School graduate, Black woman, https://apple.news/AM9BievkATDi8wIt3gG8Gtw
When it comes to vaccines our concern is that science is made accessible, that people are armed with the truth so that they can make informed decisions.
We also discuss the need for a health advocate should you get hospitalized with Covid in our eBook Navigating a New World. Available at
https://www.auset-isis.org/navigatinganewworld
And translated in Spainsh
