Moderna fined £44,000 for enticing children to join Covid vaccine trials with teddy bears, deemed unethical and exploitative by a UK watchdog.
Moderna Caught Luring Children into COVID-19 mRNA Injection Trials with Teddy Bears—Fined for Exploitation Big Pharma has resorted to bribing children with teddy bears to take experimental gene therapy injections. Wed, 12 Feb 2025 17:55:30 GMT https://www.thefocalpoints.com/p/moderna-caught-luring-children-into by Nicolas Hulscher, MPH
The Telegraph has just reported that Moderna was fined for ‘luring children into Covid vaccine trials’ with teddy bears:
Moderna has been ordered to pay almost £44,000 after 12-year-olds were encouraged to join Covid vaccine trials with the promise of teddy bears.
The US-based biotech firm was found by Britain’s pharmaceutical watchdog to have discredited the industry, as well as failing to maintain high standards.
The complaint related to four X adverts published by Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in June and July 2023, which looked to recruit children aged 12 and over for Moderna’s updated mRNA vaccine.
The adverts, which were aimed at children rather than their parents, added: “All our junior volunteers get a lovely certificate and a ‘be part of the research’ teddy bear.”
It’s deeply worrisome that Moderna has resorted to bribing children with teddy bears to take experimental gene therapy injections. This isn’t just unethical—it’s predatory. In my opinion, they shouldn’t just be fined, they should face criminal penalties for such exploitative behavior against children.
Nicolas Hulscher, MPH
Epidemiologist and Foundation Administrator, McCullough Foundation
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