What motivates anti-vaxxers?

For those who claim the mRNA vaccines were "untested," they need to know a few facts.

First, around the world, on the order of 100 different efforts were started to make a Covid vaccine. Many of them were "viral vector vaccines" such as the Johnson & Johnson and the AstraZenica vaccines. Our own "Operation Warp Speed" actually funded five different vaccine efforts; only two made it thru testing and were authorized for use in the US (yes, we had three vaccines authorized; Moderna, Pfizer, and J&J, but Pfizer was NOT part of Op Warp Speed).

Second, in the developed world, all vaccines, like all pharmaceutical products, are rigorously tested in three phases (the last pharmaceutical to avoid the modern testing regime was thalidomide - look it up if you're unfamiliar). The testing is done by independent testing agencies, and is double blinded. That means that until the end of the test, nobody knows which subjects got the placebo and which got the drug in question. It's very difficult to cheat a proper double blind placebo controlled trial.

Third, the three vaccines authorized were tested first on animals, then on humans for efficacy and safety, that last is known as a Phase 3 trial and it's the most expensive and long lasting. The Moderna trial had about 30,000 test subjects; Pfizer 45,000; both roughly equally divided among control (placebo) groups and vaccine groups. The results were published in a peer-reviewed medical journal. Both of the mRNA vaccine trials showed 95% efficacy against the original form of Covid after two doses and several weeks; J&J showed (I think) about 75% after 1 dose. Nobody claimed 100%; nobody claimed instant protection.

Fourth, here are links to the published trial results:

[sep][sep][sep]

"Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine"
[b]https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2035389[/b]
[u]Conclusions[/u]
The mRNA-1273 vaccine showed 94.1% efficacy at preventing Covid-19 illness, including severe disease. Aside from transient local and systemic reactions, no safety concerns were identified. (Funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; COVE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04470427.)

[sep][sep][sep]

Safety and Efficacy of the BNT162b2 mRNA Covid-19 Vaccine
[b]https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2034577[/b]

[u]Results[/u]
A total of 43,548 participants underwent randomization, of whom 43,448 received injections: 21,720 with BNT162b2 and 21,728 with placebo. ...

[u]Conclusions[/u]
A two-dose regimen of BNT162b2 conferred 95% protection against Covid-19 in persons 16 years of age or older. Safety over a median of 2 months was similar to that of other viral vaccines. (Funded by BioNTech and Pfizer; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04368728.)

[sep][sep][sep]

Moderna animal trials
https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2024671

Pfizer animal trials
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03275-y

BTW, the first clinical trials of any sort of mRNA vaccine in humans were in 2014 & 2015. Animal trials started in 2012.

Further info available upon request.