Ethical concerns regarding heterologous COVID-19 vaccine administration

KEYWORDS:

• Covid
• vaccine
• ethic
• heterologous

This article responds to:

Evidence synthesis and pooled analysis of vaccine effectiveness for COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 as a heterologous booster after inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccines

Dear Editor,

We would like to share ideas on “Evidence synthesis and pooled analysis of vaccine effectiveness for COVID-19 mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 as a heterologous booster after inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccines.¹” While we acknowledge that the experiment produced some intriguing data, there is a general concern about this type of vaccination research, which is typically conducted in developing nations like Southeast Asia. We are writing to bring attention to the developing moral dilemma associated with administering COVID-19 vaccinations in a novel heterologous way that departs from accepted norms and regulations unique to each vaccine type. There are questions regarding the possible ethical ramifications of this novel strategy because it is being used without first undergoing testing on humans or animals. There are also hints of possible inter-institute bias and a delay in taking action on this issue.

The scientific and medical sectors have surely been forced by the COVID-19 epidemic to accelerate vaccine research and development. In order to battle this deadly virus, experts are increasingly looking into non-conventional immunization tactics. One such strategy is heterologous vaccination, which is the sequential injection of many vaccine types. Even though the idea is meant to improve immunity and vaccine efficiency, there are important ethical issues that need to be taken into account.

The paucity of thorough research is one of the main moral conundrums pertaining to the delivery of heterologous vaccines. There is currently little scientific proof to support this approach, especially when it comes to how it affects human subjects. The lack of previous research in animal or cell models begs concerns about the possible dangers and adverse effects of using this unproven strategy. The health and welfare of people who get heterologous immunizations may unintentionally be jeopardized by the medical community’s deviation from established research methods.

Inter-institute prejudice in the decision-making process for the administration of heterologous vaccines has also been a source of concern. It is crucial to ensure that vaccine strategies are grounded in scientific quality rather than being influenced by particular groups or commercial interests. Prejudices have the capacity to undermine the objectivity needed to make wise decisions about vaccination delivery. Accountability and openness are essential to fostering public trust and avoiding affluent institutions or pharmaceutical companies from having undue influence over the adoption of experimental vaccination programs.

The developing ethical problems connected to heterologous COVID-19 vaccine administration create an intriguing dilemma in clinical vaccination development. It may be necessary to investigate alternate vaccine methods due to the pandemic’s urgency, but it’s critical to strike a balance between patient safety and acting swiftly. As medical experts, we cannot afford to ignore moral obligations and the possible repercussions of using unproven vaccination administration techniques.

To sum up, there are serious ethical issues with the current use of heterologous vaccination in the fight against COVID-19. All of these issues – poor research quality, possible inter-institute bias, and a lack of urgency in addressing them – need to be thoroughly investigated and given urgent attention. To ensure the safety and effectiveness of administering heterologous vaccines, it is essential that healthcare authorities, regulatory organizations, and scientific institutions work together to develop strict rules and carry out thorough research. In addition to the basic concerns about the confounding that are frequently discovered in studies on the delivery of heterologous vaccines,² the ethical issue is one that is rarely discussed but should be emphasized.

Authors’ contribution

SW 50% ideas, writing, analyzing, approval.

VW 50% ideas, supervision, approval.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

There is no new data generated.