The vaccine mandates and vaccines for kids are inexcusable. Vinay, I applaud you! I have been following you from the very beginning because you were a true scientist and willing to discuss!!! But you must use stronger language for the vaccine mandates and vaccines for children. I still go crazy thinking about that awful time. As aPhD scientist (immunology) I was trying everything they I could to protect my college age healthy kids from an untested new technology vaccine. UNBELIEVABLE!!!
My sentiments exactly, HLG! A full mea culpa would be great as well, kind of something along the lines of Stephen A. Smith’s to Kyrie Irving. Covid Czar? Wasn’t Fauci running the show? He definitely was in his mind according to the Memoranda for Record( some call it a diary but a commenter suggested this term which is much more accurate). Dr.Jha was the COVID Czar?! I don’t remember that, probably because he was about as much the Covid Czar as Kamala Harris was the Border Czar!
Yes, Jeff Childers talks about this permission structure evolution of things that happens a lot with our government, especially during the Biden years, and the legacy media. First stage is something like it’s not happening and anyone who says so is spreading misinformation. Second phase is something like it’s happening or it happened but only a little bit and it’s not that big of an issue. Third phase is yes it’s happening, we knew that, we never said it wasn’t, and it’s actually a good thing…🙄 Once you learn this sequence it’s amazing how often you see it. Dana Bash did it yesterday in her interview with RFK, Jr, when he said she was part of the problem during COVID. He was of course, 100% correct.
No complaints on today’s missive, one comment. The lab leak theory to me seems plausible and always has. However, I only care about why there was potential for a “lab leak” in the first place. I’ve yet to hear an argument I find persuasive as to why there is “need” to modify or create viruses which can cause human disease if they are let loose among the populace. All such research should be identified, debated, and justified in a public forum.
My sense is the justification is that we'd learn enough to do some kind of intervention, like a vaccine that arrived faster than ever in history for example. This notion is crazy at a basic level...christ, Jurassic Park had this right with "Nature finds a way." Just tinkering for discover in this context makes no sense. Making a bioweapon with a POSSIBLE vaccine in the can kinda makes sense, but only if one is a monster. Which might be why the Obama admin banned GOF research and even DARPA passed on it as "too dangerous."
Not sure that the technique you speak of had anything to do with gain of function. The technique—mRNA—was known for some time. IIRC mRNA techniques have been used in cancer treatment with poor results prior. It awaited a DNA mapping to select that part of the Covid virus for replication. That part of the Covid virus selected proved to be perhaps the vaccine’s undoing, but I digress and speculate. In any event, why select Covid for GOF? Are there not other non-human, or benign viruses to experiment GOF with or test mRNA vaccine technique? Hard to believe GOF research—if banned by Obama—begin anew under Trump. I suspect it simply kept going in secret—via China, and perhaps Ukraine—until it blew up.
Vagueness and Costs of the Pause on Gain-of-Function (GOF) Experiments on Pathogens with Pandemic Potential, Including Influenza Virus
"...In October 2014, the White House announced that the U.S. Government (USG) was implementing a “pause” of new funding for research involving GOF experiments with three respiratory viruses, influenza virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, if that research could be “reasonably anticipated” to result in enhanced pathogenicity or increased transmissibility.."
Let's assume it's beneficial for the sake of argument. Surely it should be conducted in the middle of the Mojave desert with quarantine periods for scientists exiting the facility instead of downtown Wuhan or Boston.
Methinks scientists would be less eager to conduct this research if that was the case.
There was a recent case of a researcher, albeit I believe a PhD candidate, in a U.S. (University?) lab who traveled to the Congo (IIRC) and brought back dozens of vials of Monkey Pox. Totally illegal. CBP caught him at airport customs during random search. Point here is that perhaps such viruses and precautions are not taken seriously enough—or can be taken seriously enough, to safely allow such research to be conducted? We seem in this country, and many other Western countries to have taken the “precautionary principle” to the extreme with nuclear power plants. Why not gain of function research?
In the last decade a lot of people have had their reputations ruined for having relationships with an imbalance of power. I would love for our culture to think about the balance of power between someone who can approve a grant application necessary for continued funding of careers and the scientists asked to support of a hypothesis in a respected journal article.
I would prefer if lab leak vs zoonotic spread was based on summary of facts pointing in each direction rather than which party you vote for. Maybe a slow debate between you and Debunk the Funk or TWIV guys could work here?
Calmly presenting arguments, feedbacking on each others positions...just like we should have debated covid policy back then.
This is now one more brick taken out of the denial of truth. Good that folks like Prasad are writing. And that some on the denial side - Jha- are starting to change and admit. Needed because on X there is an avalanche of Denialism.
It took way too long for us to get here. But at least the major issues are breaking towards the skeptics. I just hope that it eventually gets to admitting the same about the lockdowns and other measures.
A false binary is a great way to steer debate away from questions that really matter and we see this in spades with the lab leak v. zoonotic origin for covid. I was taught that viruses were particles composed of a single strand of DNA or RNA enclosed in a protein coat. They are said to be ubiquitous but biologically inactive until they somehow penetrate a living cell and take over its biological infrastructure in order to replicate. According to some, no virus has ever been physically or biochemically isolated or grown in tissue culture. Everything I have read takes tiny bits of nucleic acid base pairs and runs them through one of several computer programs in order to assemble possible viral genomes from which one is selected. Can someone explain in simple terms how a lab could possibly create a virus with a specific genome and protein coat? How does "gain of function" research activity fit into this scenario?
This is fantastic AND I think it's worth mentioning: somewhere in all of that DARPA, Dassack, Ecohealth alliance stuff, it appears someone may have been (possibly still is) tinkering wit MERS and similar, which have a legit 70%+ CFR.
The vaccine mandates and vaccines for kids are inexcusable. Vinay, I applaud you! I have been following you from the very beginning because you were a true scientist and willing to discuss!!! But you must use stronger language for the vaccine mandates and vaccines for children. I still go crazy thinking about that awful time. As aPhD scientist (immunology) I was trying everything they I could to protect my college age healthy kids from an untested new technology vaccine. UNBELIEVABLE!!!
Mandates for all vaccines must end.
one more:
restricting free speech = bad
Dr. Jha, welcome to where anyone with half a brain was in March/April of 2020.
Dr. Jha is not a credible "expert."
There has been no significant NEW evidence in the last five years. It is all OLD evidence.
Jha just changed his tune because the political environment is now more conducive to his new "belief."
He was chosen to be "Covid Czar" simply because he was vocal on social media with support of the ridiculous policies the Biden admin kept pushing.
Despite Jha's perceived authority and obvious arrogance, he always came across as clownish.
My sentiments exactly, HLG! A full mea culpa would be great as well, kind of something along the lines of Stephen A. Smith’s to Kyrie Irving. Covid Czar? Wasn’t Fauci running the show? He definitely was in his mind according to the Memoranda for Record( some call it a diary but a commenter suggested this term which is much more accurate). Dr.Jha was the COVID Czar?! I don’t remember that, probably because he was about as much the Covid Czar as Kamala Harris was the Border Czar!
Yes, Jeff Childers talks about this permission structure evolution of things that happens a lot with our government, especially during the Biden years, and the legacy media. First stage is something like it’s not happening and anyone who says so is spreading misinformation. Second phase is something like it’s happening or it happened but only a little bit and it’s not that big of an issue. Third phase is yes it’s happening, we knew that, we never said it wasn’t, and it’s actually a good thing…🙄 Once you learn this sequence it’s amazing how often you see it. Dana Bash did it yesterday in her interview with RFK, Jr, when he said she was part of the problem during COVID. He was of course, 100% correct.
No complaints on today’s missive, one comment. The lab leak theory to me seems plausible and always has. However, I only care about why there was potential for a “lab leak” in the first place. I’ve yet to hear an argument I find persuasive as to why there is “need” to modify or create viruses which can cause human disease if they are let loose among the populace. All such research should be identified, debated, and justified in a public forum.
My sense is the justification is that we'd learn enough to do some kind of intervention, like a vaccine that arrived faster than ever in history for example. This notion is crazy at a basic level...christ, Jurassic Park had this right with "Nature finds a way." Just tinkering for discover in this context makes no sense. Making a bioweapon with a POSSIBLE vaccine in the can kinda makes sense, but only if one is a monster. Which might be why the Obama admin banned GOF research and even DARPA passed on it as "too dangerous."
Not sure that the technique you speak of had anything to do with gain of function. The technique—mRNA—was known for some time. IIRC mRNA techniques have been used in cancer treatment with poor results prior. It awaited a DNA mapping to select that part of the Covid virus for replication. That part of the Covid virus selected proved to be perhaps the vaccine’s undoing, but I digress and speculate. In any event, why select Covid for GOF? Are there not other non-human, or benign viruses to experiment GOF with or test mRNA vaccine technique? Hard to believe GOF research—if banned by Obama—begin anew under Trump. I suspect it simply kept going in secret—via China, and perhaps Ukraine—until it blew up.
Because it was never banned outright.
Vagueness and Costs of the Pause on Gain-of-Function (GOF) Experiments on Pathogens with Pandemic Potential, Including Influenza Virus
"...In October 2014, the White House announced that the U.S. Government (USG) was implementing a “pause” of new funding for research involving GOF experiments with three respiratory viruses, influenza virus, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus, if that research could be “reasonably anticipated” to result in enhanced pathogenicity or increased transmissibility.."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25505121/
And there you go. We, as a public, slept through this process. We placed our faith it the government and their “experts” and paid a heavy price.
Let's assume it's beneficial for the sake of argument. Surely it should be conducted in the middle of the Mojave desert with quarantine periods for scientists exiting the facility instead of downtown Wuhan or Boston.
Methinks scientists would be less eager to conduct this research if that was the case.
There was a recent case of a researcher, albeit I believe a PhD candidate, in a U.S. (University?) lab who traveled to the Congo (IIRC) and brought back dozens of vials of Monkey Pox. Totally illegal. CBP caught him at airport customs during random search. Point here is that perhaps such viruses and precautions are not taken seriously enough—or can be taken seriously enough, to safely allow such research to be conducted? We seem in this country, and many other Western countries to have taken the “precautionary principle” to the extreme with nuclear power plants. Why not gain of function research?
Saying "bad" is not good enough. You need to use words like horrible, unacceptable, and criminal.
Saying lab leak is "likely" is not good enough. You need to say it was 99.99% a lab leak (because it was, and you know it).
In the last decade a lot of people have had their reputations ruined for having relationships with an imbalance of power. I would love for our culture to think about the balance of power between someone who can approve a grant application necessary for continued funding of careers and the scientists asked to support of a hypothesis in a respected journal article.
The Great Barrington Declaration was the way to go.
I would prefer if lab leak vs zoonotic spread was based on summary of facts pointing in each direction rather than which party you vote for. Maybe a slow debate between you and Debunk the Funk or TWIV guys could work here?
Calmly presenting arguments, feedbacking on each others positions...just like we should have debated covid policy back then.
This is now one more brick taken out of the denial of truth. Good that folks like Prasad are writing. And that some on the denial side - Jha- are starting to change and admit. Needed because on X there is an avalanche of Denialism.
It took way too long for us to get here. But at least the major issues are breaking towards the skeptics. I just hope that it eventually gets to admitting the same about the lockdowns and other measures.
A false binary is a great way to steer debate away from questions that really matter and we see this in spades with the lab leak v. zoonotic origin for covid. I was taught that viruses were particles composed of a single strand of DNA or RNA enclosed in a protein coat. They are said to be ubiquitous but biologically inactive until they somehow penetrate a living cell and take over its biological infrastructure in order to replicate. According to some, no virus has ever been physically or biochemically isolated or grown in tissue culture. Everything I have read takes tiny bits of nucleic acid base pairs and runs them through one of several computer programs in order to assemble possible viral genomes from which one is selected. Can someone explain in simple terms how a lab could possibly create a virus with a specific genome and protein coat? How does "gain of function" research activity fit into this scenario?
I wonder if Paul Offit will change his mind, too...
This is fantastic AND I think it's worth mentioning: somewhere in all of that DARPA, Dassack, Ecohealth alliance stuff, it appears someone may have been (possibly still is) tinkering wit MERS and similar, which have a legit 70%+ CFR.
Because everything is and was "racist" -more on that at 4:08: https://rumble.com/v7d72so-as-fake-as-fake-can-be-the-kirk-incident-283.html. Enjoy.
All vaccine mandates must end! People have the right to choose what they put in their bodies and their children’s bodies.
Thank you for all your work and transparency!