Jeyakumar Devaraj calls for a more cautious and measured approach towards the various vaccines.
It is quite clear that we need to use the Covid vaccine to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.
If a significant portion of our population were to be immune – even if partially or for a period of one or two years – then the rate of transmission of the coronavirus would drop.
That would mean we could reduce the level of physical distancing, and more people could return to their jobs and businesses, and our economy could begin to recover.
Close to 60 Covid vaccines are being developed, and a few are already being administered on a mass basis. But it is important to do it right and to make sure that the ‘cure’ doesn’t cause new health problems.
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Vaccines work by presenting a viral protein or proteins to the subject to coach the subject’s immune system to develop antibodies that can neutralise the real virus if and when the real virus attacks the subject.
We can divide the Covid vaccines into two main groups:
- Vaccines that use inactivated Covid viruses or laboratory-manufactured Covid protein to stimulate this immune response
- Vaccines that use a new technology that makes the subject’s own body produce the Covid protein that then stimulates the subject’s immune system to produce the neutralising antibodies
‘Old-tech’ vaccines
The first group of Covid vaccines relies on old and tested vaccine technology that we have been using for the past 50 years to produce vaccines for various diseases.
The medical community is familiar with the potential downsides of this first group. These include insufficient inactivation of the virus, which means the virus is still able to replicate in the subject’s body.
Side effects may occur due to the chemicals used to inactivate the virus or due to the various adjuvants used to enhance the body’s reaction to the viral protein. (Aluminum is one of the adjuvants used to “irritate” the immune system.)
More sophisticated vaccines
The second group of Covid vaccines comprise RNA or DNA which instruct our cells to make the Covid-spike protein when this genetic material is injected. This approach is new and has not been used in the production of any vaccines for a mass vaccination campaign.
This ‘canggih’ (sophisticated) approach involves injecting the genetic code for the Covid spike protein into the subject’s body. This genetic code enters the subject’s cells and tricks the subject’s ribosomes to produce thousands of copies of the Covid spike protein.
Ribosomes are the organelles within our cells that produce proteins, as instructed by the nucleus of the cell. The nucleus sends out messenger RNA to the ribosomes to tell it what type of protein to produce.
These modernistic Covid vaccines rely on messenger RNA that code for the Covid protein.
In the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, the messenger RNA (mRNA) that codes for the Covid spike protein is put in minute phospholipid capsules, and many of these capsules are injected into the subject.
These capsules circulate in the blood and slip into certain cells in the body where the mRNA instructs the ribosomes of these cells to manufacture the Covid spike protein.
Some of these spike protein molecules extrude from the cells into the bloodstream and catch the attention of the immune system, which then produces antibodies against these spike proteins. The spike proteins sticking out of the “infected” cells also induce killer lymphocytes to attack and kill these cells.
It is possible that these modern vaccines are more effective than the traditional ones in that they induce more cell mediated-response (the killer lymphocytes).
But that is part of the problem with them. These modern vaccines involve the destruction of some of the subject’s cells. Do the developers of these vaccines know for sure that their phospholipid capsules will not slip into nerve cells or into kidney cells? These are tissues that are not particularly capable of regenerating themselves if they are damaged.
We also do not know the longer-term consequences of exciting the body’s immune system and then exposing that system to cellular antigens released by the destruction of the RNA ‘infected’ cells. Might this induce an auto-immune disease in a portion of the people so exposed?
Auto-immune diseases are conditions in which the body’s immune system starts attacking some component of the body. Rheumatoid arthritis is one example of an auto-immune disease and we still do not understand why it affects certain people or what sets it off.
Would Covid vaccines that rely on generating viral proteins within our own cells precipitate auto-immune disease in those so predisposed? We do not know. It may not happen, but shouldn’t we make sure that it doesn’t before we inject this vaccine into millions of people?
The Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines use a different strategy to deliver the Covid genetic code for the spike protein to the subject cells.
They convert the Covid code to DNA, which is more stable and does not require ultra-cold storage. They then put this DNA into modified Adeno viruses, which are incapable of replicating in the subject’s body. These modified Adeno viruses deliver the DNA code to the subject’s cells.
As Adeno viruses cause respiratory tract infections, these vaccines will infect respiratory tissues and are less likely to affect nerve and kidney cells.
But as these vaccines use DNA to code for the spike protein, the vaccine-delivered DNA has to go into the nucleus of the subject’s cell to produce the messenger RNA that can instruct the subject’s ribosomes to produce the spike protein.
Willfully putting foreign DNA into the nucleus of human cells is something we should not take lightly. We know that in certain viral infections, viral DNA becomes incorporated into the human chromosomes. This occurs in hepatitis B and in HIV infections.
Do we know for sure that this will not occur, in perhaps a small percentage of cases, with the Covid vaccines that use DNA? Will this viral gene interact with any other gene in our genome and cause a health problem? Maybe not, but should we take that risk?
Look at the alternatives
Let us be clear here. I am not an anti-vaxxer. Vaccines have played a huge role in the control of infectious diseases in the past 50 years, and they certainly have a big role to play in the future.
The crucial question is, do we need desperate measures such as deploying the new RNA and DNA vaccines on a global scale before checking carefully that they do not cause unexpected negative effects in the medium to long term?
After all, there are other effective alternatives. Several Covid vaccines have been produced using traditional vaccine technology. These ‘old-tech’ vaccines do not rely on RNA or DNA and do not involve the subject’s cells in the generation of the viral antigen.
The old-tech vaccines comprise Covid virus proteins that can be injected into the subject’s body. These include CoronaVac, the Zhifei vaccine and Novavax. There are several more.
Why not use these old-tech vaccines to control the Covid pandemic? Why go for modern technology that hasn’t been properly assessed and that might have serious side effects in the medium to long term?
Don’t be naive
The insistence of many vaccine manufacturers on indemnity clauses in the agreements with governments is clear evidence that the manufacturers themselves too are not able to exclude serious medium or long-term side effects.
We would be extremely naive if we do not note the profit motive when evaluating our national vaccine strategy. Vaccine manufacturers stand to make humongous profits if their vaccines are used on a worldwide scale. With the indemnity clause in place, they are shielded from litigation if anything goes wrong.
We have to be worldly wise and factor in the tremendous influence that the large pharmaceutical companies have over governments and regulatory institutions in the West.
We also have to factor in geopolitical biases when evaluating Western media often disparaging news reports of non-Western Covid vaccines.
A cautious approach
Malaysia is not in as dire straits as the US or the EU countries where the failure to implement physical distancing measures has led to the current horrendous levels of infections and hospitalisations.
We are not doing so well now with our new cases edging up to 2,000 per day, but our rates are much lower than in many other countries.
Covid is not a health emergency that is threatening to overwhelm our medical services as is the case in several Western countries. So we do not have to take desperate measures.
Based on the above considerations, my friends and I would like to suggest the following:
- Rely on the old-tech vaccines that inject viral protein into the subject. Let’s not experiment on our population with the ‘canggih’ vaccines that use the new RNA and DNA technology, whose medium and long-term adverse effects are at present unknown
- Offer the old tech Covid vaccines to the high-risk groups initially – eg healthcare workers, other frontliner personnel, older people, people with comorbidities (other health problems) – and then later to the entire population. But do not make it mandatory for any particular group. Let people make an informed choice
- Provide clear information to the public. All vaccines have side effects and the public have a right to know of these. Given the level of mistrust of authorities in the West, some of the doubts expressed there will filter over to Malaysia. The best way of dealing with this mistrust is by being honest with our people. The authorities should tell the people what they know, and also what we still do not know about these vaccines
- Provide the old-tech Covid vaccines free to the population
- Conduct post-Covid vaccination surveillance to obtain an accurate estimate of symptoms and side effects arising from the vaccine. Communicate these findings to the people so they can make an informed choice regarding getting vaccinated
The Ministry of Health is in the midst of conducting an opinion poll to ascertain the Malaysian population’s stance regarding the Covid vaccine.
This is the opportunity for civil society groups and concerned individuals to voice up and call for a cautious and measured approach to the mass vaccination of the Malaysian population.
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Your opening conclusion is misleading. Why do we need a vaccine for a flu with 99.6% recovery rate and with cheap, safe therapeutics already available? Why don’t you investigate the cures/repurposed tested drugs good doctors worldwide have used to heal their patients? Real life cures, not so-called scientific lab solutions. And why is WHO not organising worldwide doctors conferences to share cures for this scary virus instead of resorting to devastating measures of lockdowns and expensive and unproven solutions of vaccines?
There are so many things wrong with the push for a rushed vaccines. Instead of discussing ‘techologies’, why don’t we question the need for it; discuss cheap, safe & proven cures and boost natural immune systems?
Can Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj share with us which brands are old tech vaccines & which are the changgih ones? From there, we can make an informed choice based on reliable info & our appetite for risk taking.
Hi David,
The Canggih ones are the RNA Vaccines and the Adeno virus vaccines. These 2 make our cells produce the viral proteins.
The old technology uses inactivated viruses or viral protein manufactured in laboratories. Our cells are not used to make the Covid protein.
In Malaysian context the Pfizer and the Astra Zeneca are Canggih while the Sinovac is using the older technology.
Dr Jeyakumar
Here is an interesting talk by a scientist about safety and autoimmunity issues concerning the Covid vaccine. I asked Hisham for his comment but he didn’t reply. Since we have already purchased billions of RMs of vaccines even before approval, the trial is obviously not a trial but a sham which doesn’t care about patient safety at all.
https://dryburgh.com/james-lyons-weiler-coronavirus-vaccine-safety-warning/
The video is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkGB1-YFn1Q
This vaccine will not reduce the rates of infection. It only reduces the severity of disease in those vaccinated and then infected (so they claim), but the vaccinated remains infectious while asymptomatic. Also, after injecting the vaccine, our cells start churning out copies of the virus, and in 1-14 days, the immune system makes antibodies to these viruses. In the 1-14 day period before there are enough antibodies, the vaccinated person is infectious as the viruses will be shed in their snot. Wearing of masks and physical distancing is still necessary for the immunocompromised. In fact, getting vaccinated and living with children or immunocompromised people is the same as catching Covid and bringing it home to them.
Sdr Chin,
The RNA vaccines get our body to produce just the spike protein and not the whole Covid virus. So the vaccinated persons are not infectious to others.
However there is some doubt whether if vaccinated persons get the Covid virus from others the virus will still be able to multiply in the nose for a few days and infect others. The virus cannot invade further because the antibodies in the blood of the vaccinated person protects that person
Dr Jeyakumar
Informed article.
I prefer to go back to God to go back to nature to boost my immune system via raw whole food plant-based diet.
Tq, Dr Jeyakumar for this informative piece.
Thus far, there is no official announcement that our government intends to make vaccination against covid 19 mandatory.
So, as the good doctor advised, we the rakyat must make an informed decision of the vaccine we want.
There has been much input over the new technology vaccine and the vaccine manufacturer’s indemnity clauses does not create confidence.
Yet,beggars cannot be choosers, so we see our govt. falling head over toe trying to secure the Pfizer vaccine. It may be a blessing in disguise that we will only get the vaccine in Feb2021
None of the ‘old tech’ vaccines have regulatory approval as yet.
But time will prove whether the old adage of slow and steady wins the race is better than speed
Tqvm,Dr. Jayekumar your article is a well written information for our those who are ignorant of safety on latest covid 19 vaccines development, and possible side effect pose to our nation.