Drug vaccines
An article published in this week's edition of Vaccine, (a cutting-edge scientific journal dealing with vaccine research), details the creation of a morphine/heroin vaccine in rats. Once administered, the vaccine prevents the two drugs from having a biological effect when administered through any conventional method (oral, intravenous, etc). The vaccine was not cross-reactive, i.e. did not affect any other opiate drugs, or natural endorphins. Although not mentioned by the researchers, I'd hypothesize that drugs that are metabolized into morphine or heroin (such as codeine) would also be rendered ineffective.
Looking at the core science behind their vaccine design, I can see no reason why it would not be as effective in humans as it is in rats. The authors seem to think so as well, and conclude their article by saying they'll be immediately launching Phase-I trials.
A vaccination-based approach to 'dealing' with drug use/abuse is not new. A cocaine vaccine is currently in human phase-II trials, and will likely be on the market in the USA within the next 3 years. Researchers involved in these programs claim that the vaccines will help addicts who continuously relapse with conventional treatment therapies kick their habits for good. Intentions aside, it seems obvious that the 'drug vaccines' will be capitalized upon by the War-On-Drug machine as a new tool for fighting the Evil Scourge Of Society.
I have long been a supporter of public vaccination against infectious disease, and often consider supporting mandatory vaccination. This stems mostly from a public health mentality -- vaccines not only protect their recipient from disease, but prevent the individual from spreading disease to others.
I predict that these new 'drug vaccines' will shift vaccination policy in one of two ways:
(1) The 'drug vaccines' will begin to be included with the typical pediatric vaccine regimen that all of us likely received when we were children. A new generation of drug-immune individuals will repopulate society, severely deficient in the freedom to choose what they do or don't ingest.
(2) Civil rights will prevail, but the current vaccine delivery model will collapse. Vaccination will no longer be mandatory, with obvious public health consequences.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Looking at the core science behind their vaccine design, I can see no reason why it would not be as effective in humans as it is in rats. The authors seem to think so as well, and conclude their article by saying they'll be immediately launching Phase-I trials.
A vaccination-based approach to 'dealing' with drug use/abuse is not new. A cocaine vaccine is currently in human phase-II trials, and will likely be on the market in the USA within the next 3 years. Researchers involved in these programs claim that the vaccines will help addicts who continuously relapse with conventional treatment therapies kick their habits for good. Intentions aside, it seems obvious that the 'drug vaccines' will be capitalized upon by the War-On-Drug machine as a new tool for fighting the Evil Scourge Of Society.
I have long been a supporter of public vaccination against infectious disease, and often consider supporting mandatory vaccination. This stems mostly from a public health mentality -- vaccines not only protect their recipient from disease, but prevent the individual from spreading disease to others.
I predict that these new 'drug vaccines' will shift vaccination policy in one of two ways:
(1) The 'drug vaccines' will begin to be included with the typical pediatric vaccine regimen that all of us likely received when we were children. A new generation of drug-immune individuals will repopulate society, severely deficient in the freedom to choose what they do or don't ingest.
(2) Civil rights will prevail, but the current vaccine delivery model will collapse. Vaccination will no longer be mandatory, with obvious public health consequences.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out.