Nurses, no guinea pigs! 87,000 healthcare workers in Netherlands refuse Covid-19 vaccine

Amid random reports of reactions to vaccine surfacing at different parts of the world, here comes a sharp refusal from thousands of healthcare workers. Around 87,000 nurses refused 'experimental' Covid-19 vaccine in the Netherlands, even as the Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced a strict five-week lockdown. Cases in the Netherlands saw a steep rise after the celebrations of Saint Nocholas' birthday on Dec 5.

At a recent hearing of the Covid-19 Extra pulmonary Inquiry committee, Dr. Elke De Klerk from the Netherlands said she supports 87,000 nurses who resolved to refuse the Covid-19 vaccine because they don't want to be a guinea pig. "We are also starting a lawsuit to bring a really large group of doctors and a really large group of nurses because we have contact with 87,000 nurses that do want the vaccine that is being prepared for us. They are not willing to be the guinea pigs."

Netizens react

Even as London Assembly Member tweeted the news, several were quick to join the debate. "Morons pushing something experimental as mandatory should immediately go to the front of the vaccine-line and get a double shot.," said some while others called out loud for whistle blowers. 

Allergic reactions in Alaska

It was only a day ago that reports of two healthcare workers at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, in Alaska surfaced about them developing dverse and alarming reactions minutes after receiving Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.

At a media briefing conference that followed, hospital officials said that all 96 of its officials who received the vaccine were observed for 30 minutes after the shot. The woman who developed the reaction had no history of allergies. She started feeling flushed ten minutes after and symptoms progressed to elevated heart rate, breathlessness and she was administered an epinephrine injection. Pfizer later said in a statement that it was working with local health authorities to assess the reaction.

The second worker to develop a reaction received the shot on Wednesday and developed eye puffiness, feeling of lightheadedness and an itch, scratchy throat ten minutes after the shot. The hospital said it reported the allergic reactions for the sake of transparency and that the cases would not affect their vaccine plans. Similar allergy cases were reported in the UK as well.

Interim report on Covid vaccine in India

As per the interim report of the phase 1 clinical trial findings of Bharat Biotech's Covid-19 vaccine COVAXIN, no serious adverse effects have been found among the 375 participants. Among them, 300 were given the vaccine doses while 75 were administered placebo.