Durham, NC – Opponents of vaccine mandates expressed their dismay at vaccine makers by hanging a sign from a pedestrian bridge over I-40 in Durham, NC. The sign read,
COVID-19 vaccine makers are exempt from liability
It is uncertain who hung the sign.
UNC Health Doctor David Wohl, a specialist on infectious diseases, told WRAL,
… it’s true that drug makers are protected from liability of any potential injuries caused by their vaccines. If we find out three years from now that it turns your hair purple, you are not going to be able to sue Pfizer or Moderna because you now have purple hair. This is all done in somewhat good faith — that these companies are moving forward, taking some chances and taking some risks.
And who can blame them? The Moderna vaccine is the first of it’s type. It is designed from viral RNA, encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles, that will enter the host cell (that’s you), be translated into viral protein and expressed on the cell surface. The viral protein is now visible to the immune system and causes an immune response that will help protect the host. Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are being fast-tracked due to President Trump’s ‘Operation Warp Speed’.
Some people are concerned over taking the vaccine for a variety of reason. Some don’t feel confident in the quick development of the vaccines and the lack of long-term data on side effects. Others are wary of having viral proteins expressed on their human cells. Still others tend towards more conspiratorial reasons for being fearful of the new vaccine.
Duke University School of Medicine’s Dr. Susanna Naggie, who is a clinical research expert said of the vaccine:
I’m confident their (FDA’s) review will be thorough and complete, and that any vaccine approved through an Emergency Use Authorization will be safe.
