On the Safety of Covid-19 Vaccines
On the Safety of Covid-19 Vaccines
Dr. Romeo Quijano
(Photo credit: Screengrab from Youtube.)
Dr. Quijano’s Rejoinder to the DOH and UP Manila Statements
The DOH and UP Manila statements castigate me and other health professionals for questioning the safety of the Covid-19 vaccines, accused of spreading false information and of being irresponsible. This was obviously a panicky reaction to the DZRH radio interview last Tuesday, August 10 wherein I was asked if I was vaccinated, to which I responded, “Hindi ako magpapabakuna kasi mas delikado pa ang bakuna kaysa sa Covid virus mismo,” and proceeded to explain very briefly why. I was clearly expressing my personal opinion justifying my decision why I did not want to be vaccinated. I was not spreading false information.
I did not seek to be interviewed by DZRH. I was invited by somebody from DZRH who asked if I could be a guest on the topic “vaccination for children” and I agreed. When asked about my designation, I answered “Professor, retired, College of Medicine, University of the Philippines Manila.” Apparently, within hours, that interview segment spread widely in the internet. I stand by my statements in that interview and I strongly protest the accusation that I am spreading false information and that I was being irresponsible. What is false is the claim that the Covid-19 vaccines are safe. There is compelling evidence of thousands of deaths and serious injuries due to Covid-19 vaccines.*
I also take exception to the statements of the UP Manila authorities castigating me and similar minded colleagues who express their opinions on matters of national interest such as the experimental Covid-19 vaccines and “de facto” mandatory vaccinations. Using University governance powers to prohibit a retired professor from speaking out using his/her lawful designation (Professor, retired, University of the Philippines Manila) when being asked about his/her views on matters of national interest is a violation of academic freedom and human rights. Academic freedom encompasses the inherent right to free expression inside or outside the University walls. Imposing orthodoxy and groupthink is a violation of this right. The University is a special bastion of multitude of ideas, never monolithic, where truth is discovered by the free exchange of often conflicting opinions and not through any form of authoritarian imposition or coercive selection of ideas of the status quo. A professor deprived of his/her right to proclaim his/her academic identity removes the mantle of academic freedom. Retirement does not remove that academic identity. This is particularly unjust to someone who has spent most of his/her entire life within that mantle. It is not only unjust but also inhumane. It is akin to depriving a person the right to append to his name the family name of his/her mother or father.
I deplore the apparent subservience of UP Manila authorities and many of its faculty members to corporate science. Safety assessments under the corporate dominated scientific milieu are grossly inadequate and oftentimes erroneous. Pre-clinical studies and clinical trials are done or sponsored by the very corporations who sell the vaccines and they do not adequately address the plausible adverse effects that cannot be detected by the corporate sponsored studies. There are no independent studies that could validate the claims of the vaccine manufacturers. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that the potential benefits from an upcoming Covid-19 vaccine would outweigh the potential adverse effects, despite assurances of safety by the vaccine industry, international institutions, governments and the mainstream medical science groups. Muzzling the voices of concerned doctors and citizens is not in the people’s interest.
*References:
1. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System: COVID-19 Vaccine Data (as of July 30, 2021)
2. Seneff, S and Nigh, G. Worse Than the Disease? Reviewing Some Possible Unintended Consequences of the mRNA Vaccines Against COVID-19. International Journal of Vaccine Theory, Practice, and Research (May 10, 2021)
3. Federal Lawsuit Seeks Immediate Halt of COVID Vaccines, Cites Whistleblower Testimony Claiming CDC Is Under-Counting Vaccine Deaths. Children’s Health Defense (July 20, 2021)
4. Letter of Dr. Tess Lawrie, Director of the Evidence-based Medicine Consultancy Ltd to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (June 9, 2021)
5. Diaz, G., Parsons, G. et al. Myocarditis and Pericarditis After Vaccination for COVID-19. JAMA Network (August 4, 2021)
6. COVID-19 child vaccination: safety and ethical concerns. An open letter from UK doctors to Dr June Raine, Chief Executive, MHRA. (May 20, 2021)
7. Quijano, R. Should we take the vaccine against COVID-19? Academia.edu
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