Coronavirus Vaccine: US National Institutes of Health Isn’t Waiting for Pointless Animal Tests

Here at PETA India, we and our affiliates have been saying for years that experiments on animals are pointless—they slow down the search for treatments and cures for human disease. Moreover, all the poisoning, shocking, burning, and killing is unethical and cruel. Many other scientists and experts agree. But when it comes to a new coronavirus vaccine, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) is finally heeding PETA affiliates’ call—according to, the agency isn’t waiting for the typical, lengthy animal-testing phase and is instead heading straight for humans trails. While this won’t stop all tests on animals for the vaccine, it should pave the way for safe straight-to-human vaccine trials from now on.

45 healthy volunteers set to take part in first human trial of potential coronavirus vaccine https://t.co/J4oFLDOBLJ

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) March 16, 2020

In the US, 45 healthy, willing volunteers have reportedly agreed to partake in the first human trial of a vaccine, funded by the US NIH, that could protect against COVID-19, the novel, SARS-like coronavirus (which has apparently been traced back to live animals who were closely confined, shipped, killed, and eaten) that has much of the world in a fearful frenzy.

Rats, mice, and other animals can’t be willing participants in experiments.

Unlike humans, animals can’t agree to being experimented on. And if they could, they likely wouldn’t consent to being mutilated, poisoned, infected with painful and deadly diseases, burned, electrocuted, shot, addicted to drugs, or and eventually killed.

Refusing to condemn animals to a life of pain, loneliness, and terror shouldn’t be reserved for urgent public health priorities—it should be standard practice.

PETA affiliates work globally to expose and end the use of animals in experiments. This includes working to phase out animal tests at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, persuading , other , and universities to abandon animal tests in favor of modern, non-animal methods. With the help of our members and supporters, we’re leading the way to the future—one that doesn’t include cruel, archaic tests on animals.

We do this partly because experiments on animals aren’t just cruel and expensive—they’re also overwhelmingly inapplicable to humans.

The US NIH itself reports that  . Experiments on animals divert time and funding from better, non-animal methods. And experts know it. Regardless of the lack of tests on animals, Moderna Therapeutics—the company behind the new coronavirus vaccine—reportedly says that “the vaccine has been made using a tried and tested process.”

All vaccines, drugs, treatments, and products should be “made using a tried and tested process” that doesn’t include nonconsenting animals. Click on the link below if you’re with us—help stop NIH experimenter Elisabeth Murray’s “monkey fright” experiments: