> I can’t believe we’re still doing the nutty antivax thing in 2023.
Expressing safety concerns and having a rational discussion about a new genetic therapy is not a "nutty antivax thing", and it is disingenuous and argument in bad faith to suggest that it is.
Could you please clarify why you believe calling COVID-19 vaccines genetic therapy is "the very definition of nuttiness"?
mRNA (Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines) and adenovirus vector (Janssen vaccine) are the transfer of nucleic acids and viruses that mediate their effect by translation, and transcription then translation, respectively, of the transferred genetic material.
The FDA defines them as such: "Gene therapy products. Human gene therapy/gene transfer is the administration of nucleic acids, viruses, or genetically engineered microorganisms that mediate their effect by transcription and/or translation of the transferred genetic material, and/or by integrating into the host genome."
You may have misunderstood that I was drawing a distinction and suggesting that they are not "vaccines," which some people do. Similarly, but from the opposite point of view, you may also be suggesting that genetic therapies and vaccines are non-overlapping categories. I reject the false dichotomy.
Respectfully disagree, and I assure you my argument is not made in bad faith. It is a false dichotomy to suggest that a vaccine CANNOT be a genetic therapy (i.e., that they are distinct and non-overlapping concepts). You may be confusing my argument with that of those who assert that the mRNA vaccines (and let's include Janssen's adenovirus vaccine) are genetic therapies but NOT vaccines.
The FDA defines "Gene therapy products. Human gene therapy/gene transfer is the administration of nucleic acids, viruses, or genetically engineered microorganisms that mediate their effect by transcription and/or translation of the transferred genetic material, and/or by integrating into the host genome."
Expressing safety concerns and having a rational discussion about a new genetic therapy is not a "nutty antivax thing", and it is disingenuous and argument in bad faith to suggest that it is.