Thalidomide was a drug not a vaccine.
This is not the first time that an mRNA vaccine has been used in humans. The first human trial of an mRNA vaccine began in 2009 in a small group of patients who had prostate cancer. Overall, that mRNA vaccine was well tolerated and had a good safety profile. In 2013 a clinical trial began of an mRNA rabies vaccine in healthy human adults. This rabies trial was important because the safety requirements for a vaccine in a healthy population are more stringent than those for a vaccine being used to treat a disease. The study ran from 2013-2016, and continues to collect long-term safety data. But overall, this vaccine was deemed generally safe and tolerable. mRNA vaccines are now in use in clinical trials for HIV, the Zika virus, and influenza. Scientists project that the Covid Vaccines which are based on the same methodology will be highly unlikely to have long term side effects. Sure, we won't be 100% sure until we complete years of study, but since we need an emergency vaccine, the evidence is there to make using it a no brainer when we have had over 500,000 people die in this country during this pandemic. There are no short term effects, and longer term data we have at present suggests it will be safe as well, to combat a very deadly virus.
|