Prof. Dr. Tayfun Uzbay, Head of the Department of Internal Medical Sciences and Head of the Department of Medical Pharmacology at Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, made evaluations regarding the lawsuit filed against BioNTech in Germany concerning alleged side effects caused by the Covid-19 vaccine. Uzbay said, “Behind this, there is an effort to incite public anxiety. These types of lawsuits might be among the provocations and activities of the anti-vaccine lobby. We are not claiming here that ‘vaccines are entirely harmless’ or that ‘they are used with ‘0’ risk.’ However, these vaccines were not made available haphazardly. Every day, a plane full of people was losing their lives, and this had become commonplace. In such a process, science tried to find a solution. In epidemics of this kind, the most important issue is preventive medicine. And the most important weapon of preventive medicine is vaccines.”
“These lawsuits might be a provocation by the anti-vaccine lobby”
Sharing his views on the compensation lawsuit filed against BioNTech, whose vaccine developed during the coronavirus pandemic is used in many countries worldwide, regarding its side effects, Prof. Dr. Tayfun Uzbay stated that the BioNTech vaccine has reached approximately 2 billion people globally and said the following:
'The lawsuit was filed in Germany. Especially in France and Germany, the reactions of anti-vaccine proponents were very strong during the pandemic. These types of lawsuits might be among the provocations and activities of the anti-vaccine lobby. If this recently postponed lawsuit is won, it could set a precedent, leading many people to file lawsuits and try to extract money from scientists or the pharmaceutical industry. However, if a lawsuit were to be filed here, it should have been filed against the WHO, FDA, EMA, or the health ministries of the countries granting permission for its use. The fact that it wasn't filed and that there are no lawsuits in other countries suggests this is an isolated incident. A person who should not have been vaccinated might have been vaccinated. Or the person might have an unpredictable rare sensitivity. This will emerge during the court process. Vaccines are the most important weapon of preventive medicine. We are not claiming here that 'vaccines are entirely harmless' or that 'they are used with '0' risk.' However, these vaccines were not made available haphazardly. Every day, a plane full of people was losing their lives, and this had become commonplace. In such a process, science tried to find a solution. After vaccines were introduced during the epidemic, both deaths and complications decreased. We cannot ignore this. Vaccines saved a great many lives. If there is a direct relationship between a vaccine and myocarditis, or a vaccine and heart attack, we would expect this to appear in a large number of people. This did not happen. BioNTech has no proven serious side effect to date.'
There is no causal link between the problems and the vaccine
Stating that the BioNTech vaccine was closely monitored during its development and emergency use authorization phases, Uzbay said, 'The data obtained during these stages were transparently shared with the scientific community. Emergency use authorization was granted because no serious side effects were observed. No serious side effects were observed in widespread application either. A causal link between isolated problems, or problems alleged to be vaccine-related, and the vaccine could not be established using scientific methodology. Vaccines have been administered to over 2 billion people to date. If a causal link with the vaccine had been established, their licenses would certainly have been revoked and applications stopped. These processes are carried out within the framework of national and international legal procedures. However, so many conspiracy theories and terrifying, unproven news and claims were exaggerated in the media that an expectation of serious side effects was created in people. Just as the belief that the applied treatment will be beneficial can contribute to recovery through a placebo effect, the belief that you will be harmed, conversely, produces unwanted effects. We call this the nocebo effect. After vaccination, symptoms such as dizziness, pain, nausea, palpitations, chest pain, insomnia, and anxiety appeared. Most of these were nocebo effects. The vaccine has no proven, established serious side effect to date. If it did, its license would be suspended, revoked, and its application stopped.'
mRNA vaccines also offer hope for cancer prevention
Stating that preventive medicine prevents many diseases and prevents the commodification of health, Prof. Dr. Tayfun Uzbay said, “mRNA vaccines also offer hope for the prevention and treatment of cancers. Protective effects of vaccines produced with mRNA technology against some types of cancer have been demonstrated. These effects will be sought to be proven in large populations. Perhaps with this technology, we will largely be able to remove cancer from being a fearsome disease through vaccination. Imagine, you prevent many cancers with a vaccine. Then, whose profits would decrease or disappear in the expensive oncology field where such large sums of money circulate? If serious chronic diseases, especially cancer, were preventable, how would private hospitals and insurance companies view this? Unfortunately, in the 21st century, science is rapidly commercializing. It is necessary to carefully consider whose interests would be served by discrediting vaccines and preventive medicine.”
Side effects may be from past Covid-19 infection rather than the vaccine
Uzbay noted that there are various reports and isolated publications suggesting that the reasons for BioNTech vaccine recipients' hospital admissions include cardiological problems in young people, heart rhythm disorders in some individuals, heart attacks, difficulty concentrating referred to as brain fog, insomnia, and other anxiety symptoms, and he stated: “We observe that the symptoms appearing here are not significantly different from their normal prevalence in the general population under normal circumstances and cannot currently be directly linked to the vaccine. Two issues are overlooked here. Firstly, the fear, anxiety, depression caused by Covid-19, and the limitations arising from lockdowns and isolation had negative effects on health. People couldn't go for routine health check-ups. They remained inactive at home for long periods. Their nutrition deteriorated. These factors alone can trigger heart attacks and anxiety. On the other hand, among today's youth, there are problems such as obesity, poor nutrition, and substance abuse. We saw young people with heart problems even before the pandemic. Recently, there are clues pointing to stimulant use. Substances like methamphetamine, abused to increase concentration or performance, can lead to serious heart problems. We should also investigate and evaluate this. The second important point is that Covid-19 itself has been proven to cause cardiovascular problems (e.g., increasing coagulation) and mental problems (e.g., brain fog). The likelihood of these symptoms being side effects of a past Covid-19 infection, rather than the vaccine, is much stronger. Even if young people experience Covid-19 more mildly and asymptomatically, we know that the virus causes these types of effects. Therefore, in these cases, the history of Covid-19 should also be queried.”
No long-term side effects of the vaccine are expected to emerge in the future
Reminding the official statement made by the World Health Organization, Prof. Dr. Tayfun Uzbay said, “No different, long-term, and serious side effects of the vaccine are expected to emerge in the future. Its protective effect was also limited to a maximum of 6-8 months. It is more appropriate for us to discuss the long-term effects of Covid-19 rather than the vaccine. It is more probable that the virus causes long-term problems in some unvaccinated individuals who have had a prolonged illness and repeated infections. These individuals should be closely monitored and measures should be taken. Furthermore, I believe it is much more important to focus on the social trauma created by the process and the subsequent economic crisis and to produce solutions for it.”