The rush to develop Covid-19 vaccines has given rise to the issue of whether it will be halal-certified
“When we talk about the Covid-19 vaccine, particularly focusing on the Pfizer-BioNTech, we are talking about 95 per cent efficacy. So, it is significantly higher than the flu.”
As pharmaceutical companies all over the world are involved in producing a Covid-19 vaccine, there is no indication that the vaccines are or will be halal-certified.
Al Balagh Academy, a globally-recognised online Islamic institute, held a webinar recently to discuss the controversies surrounding this issue and the Islamic stance on Covid-19 vaccines. Participating was a panel of expert Muslim scholars, scientists and bioethicists.
Themed ‘Controversy over the Covid-19 vaccines: The Islamic Stance’, the panellists were:
- Dr Muhammad Munir, virologist and lecturer in Molecular Virology from Lancaster University,
- Mufti Amjad Mohammad, a faculty member of the Islamic Theology Department from the Islamic University of Rotterdam,
- Shaykh Abu Eesa Niamatullah pharmacist, Almaghrib Institute instructor and Vice-Chair of the Al-Qalam Sharī›ah Panel, and
- Dr Aasim Padela, Director of the Initiative on Islam and Medicine, Associate Professor of Medicine, Sections of Emergency Medicine and General Internal Medicine and Faculty at the MacLean Center for Clinical Medical Ethics.
The session was moderated by Shaykh Dr Rafaqat Rashid, traditional Muslim scholar, General Practitioner, professional trainer and educator.
Dr Aasim Padela
Shaykh Abu Eesa Niamatullah
Mufti Amjad Mohammed
Dr Mohammad Munir
Shaykh Dr Rafaqat Rashid
Covid-19 vaccine developments
Dr Mohammad Munir presented on the latest Covid-19 vaccine developments and addressed concerns surrounding it.
Currently, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are at the forefront of Covid-19 vaccine development. Both are mRNA-based vaccines which are purely synthetic and do not require cell culture, which is suitable for Muslims and vegetarians.
Meanwhile, AstraZeneca’s vaccine requires cell culture to grow viral particles. However, the cells are not carried over into the vaccine as the viral particles are purified and titrated.
“When we talk about the Covid-19 vaccine, particularly focusing on the Pfizer-BioNTech, we are talking about 95 per cent efficacy. So, it is significantly higher than the flu.”
Another issue discussed was that Covid-19 vaccines were rushed through the evaluation and approval process.
Dr Mohammad commented while the Covid-19 vaccine development was in a year, it uses and repurposed 17 years of knowledge, technologies and experience with coronaviruses. The methodology of the trial is adapted from running sequential to parallel, ensuring data availability in a short time.
He added due to the unprecedented need for a vaccine, there were cuts in bureaucracy and politics.
Herd immunity
Currently, about 20 per cent of the world population have been infected and recovered from Covid-19, and they would have some level of protection against the virus.
“So, if we keep this natural herd immunity trend the same way, we will get 20 per cent in one year. That means to reach 60 per cent, we need another two and a half or three years,” shared Dr Mohammad.
“We have already lost 1.7 million people. So, if we carry on doing that every year, that’s going to be devastating and very complicated.
“Herd immunity can only be achieved if we have increased vaccination. Therefore, more vaccination means a lower number of infections and a higher and quicker achievement of herd immunity.”
Seventy-five per cent of the global population needs to be immunised to curtain the pandemic.
“And for that, we need 30 billion doses. And that is a massive and gigantic task, and we have never practised this kind of vaccination in human history.”
He explained if vaccination was started at the beginning of 2021, about 65 per cent herd immunity could have been achieved by the end of the year.
The Islamic stance
Concerns were raised on the ingredients and excipients in drugs, particularly vaccines.
Mufti Amjad said: “We seem to conflate ethical issues with the legality of a particular matter. So, when we give a fatwa about something, we’re looking at its permissibility.
“There are several factors which need to be taken into consideration, such as the efficacy of this vaccine, which may have animal ingredients, stabilisers or anything else for that matter.”
He added as a Muslim following Mazhab Hanafi (one of the categories of the Islamic school of thought), any medical intervention – in this case, the Covid-19 vaccine – was seen as something permissible.
In the case of a vaccine containing impure substance, questions were raised whether one can take it to benefit herd immunity or to save lives.
According to Shaykh Abu Eesa, if there is a need and it is established that it will play an essential role in herd immunity, then it is obligatory to take it.
On the issue of trusting secular regulatory bodies and pharmaceutical manufacturers and accepting crucial medical advice from non-Muslim authorities, Shaykh Abu Eesa said: “There’s absolutely no reason why we shouldn’t. As long as their medical information and evidence tracks, it does not matter whether they’re Muslim or not.”
He believes the religious background of secular regulatory bodies and pharmaceutical manufacturers should not be the public’s primary concern as they are people who hold a certain level of expertise to make an informed decision.
Dr Aasim commented: “As a physician, we trust the regulatory agencies in almost every decision we make. I find it illogical to refuse to trust this part while accepting the rest.”— The Health
