The Vegan Society encourages vegans to look after their health. As there is no plan for compulsory vaccination, it is the responsibility of individuals to make an informed decision about vaccines.
MYRIAM TOWA: The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has become the first to be approved for widespread use on humans, with immunisations having already begun in the UK this week. But is the Covid vaccine vegan?… The new vaccine has caused controversy online after it was found to have been tested on animals.
All vaccines go through animal testing, and animal products are commonly used in the genetic makeup of an immunisation. Pfizer and BioNTech announced the “vaccine candidate produced neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, in macaques, as well as antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+T cells in both the nonhuman primates and mice”.
The Vegan Society released a statement addressing the animal testing after the move was slammed online… The organisation wrote: “It has never been more important for us to talk about the definition of veganism in the context of medications, including vaccines.
“The definition of veganism recognises that it is not always possible or practicable to avoid animal use, which is particularly relevant to medical situations”. “In the case of Covid-19, vaccination will play a fundamental role in tackling the pandemic and saving lives.
“As all vaccines currently are tested on animals, at this stage it is impossible to have a vaccine that has been created without animal use”… The Vegan Society added in the “unlikely event” the vaccine is made mandatory, vegans would be able to request an exemption based on their beliefs.
The Society added: “However, we would like to make it clear that The Vegan Society encourages vegans to look after vegans to after their health and that of others, in order to continue to be effective advocates for veganism and other animals.
“As there is no plan for compulsory vaccination, it is the responsibility of each individual to make an informed decision about vaccines, bearing in mind the definition of veganism, with support from their local healthcare team”. SOURCE…
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