The Challenging Decision of the Year: Ethics or Life

The Challenging Decision of the Year: Ethics or Life
The Challenging Decision of the Year: Ethics or Life

Ethics, with all its virtues and high standards, may turn out to be elusive. If we weren't sure about it till now, we are confident of it at present. The Covid-19, or more accurate, the Covid-19 vaccination revealed to us very clearly, that nothing in this life is painted in black or white, not even ethics. This pandemic that came upon us forced us to make some tough decisions that may seem outrageous and immoral in a utopic world. Since we don't live in a utopic world, we can only do the best we can to keep ethics in tack on a micro-level without creating chaos on the macro.

The right to control the outcomes of our bodies and generate medical decisions for ourselves is considered a basic fundamental human right. But what happens when one's choice to exercise this right comes in exchange for society’s right to live freely.  Currently, this seems to be the most significant ethical dilemma forced by the Covid-19 vaccinations.

After a year of lock-downs, social distancing, quarantines, loss of livelihood, economic crisis, and most importantly, the death of approximately 2,779,848 people worldwide from the Covid-19 virus, the vaccination we've all been waiting for is finally here. The only problem, saying it mildly, that some of us are a bit less enthusiastic than others to get vaccinated with a less than a year developed vaccination and claim that forcing it on them is a feral human right violation. As a result, the possibility to overcome the saga of the Covid-19 world pandemic might turn out to be blocked.

Meanwhile, society grew divided between those who chose to get vaccinated as opposed to the ones who chose to refuse. Not surprisingly the dark web found an excellent opportunity to profit from it.

As mentioned above, the right to control our body's medical care is a basic human right that is very tricky to enforce, legally and ethically. However, it was clear that the world can't continue with the current situation. This led to another approach and the establishment of new rules. People who choose not to get the Covid-19 vaccination will be restricted from taking part and participate in various social happenings, events, and affairs. While those who chose to be vaccinated will be granted a vaccination document allowing them to revive with no restrictions whatsoever and will grant them the freedom to participate in any social gathering. 

That's where the Dark Web chose to act and seize the golden opportunity by selling online fake documents, providing a false reference to unvaccinated people that allegedly are vaccinated.

When it revolves illegal activities for profit, the Dark Web is second to none. So, it's no wonder that they well recognized the value of vaccination reference and fake Covid-19 test results among the ones who are conspiracies followers, Covid-19 deniers, and people who are refusing to take "experimental vaccine" into their bodies. Agree with those or not, their cooperation with the Dark Web is not only cooperating with fraud but is literally risking other people's lives.

In their new thriving business of Covid-19 demand, they offer fake documentation to all needs, from a vaccination reference to fake negative COVID-19 test results at the low price of approximately 25$.

Joe Tidey, a BBC cyber reporter, published that anonymous traders' darknet is selling fake vaccination certificates for the modest price of $150, and moreover, they also sell vaccination dozes of Sputnik, Sinopharm or Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca for the prices range between $500 (£360) and $750.  Nevertheless, he adds that "The BBC has been unable to verify if the vaccines are real."

The CNN Business also published that researchers at cybersecurity of Check Point Software found online the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccines are offered for prices of up to $1,000 a dose, and at minimum a 20 vaccine fake certificates for $200 apiece. 

Still, they also unsure if the vaccines are legit, but a Check Point spokesperson told CNN Business that based on the images taken of the packaging and the medical certificates, "they appear to be legitimate." Also, according to the report, "Advertisements for vaccines on the dark web are up 300% in the past three months".

The vaccination certificate has a massive influence on a single level and moreover on a global. A person that will have this documentation, in a way, is free to finally continue with his life. But above the enjoyable day-to-day activities, a vaccinated person will also be able to travel and cross borders. Still, most importantly, the most significant value of being vaccinated is to be able to work. 

You see, employers reserve the right to decline unvaccinated people in favor of the right to protect the other employees and their families from getting infected by Covid-19.  This is another way to "force" individuals to get vaccinated without regulating it. The problem is that people's fear of losing their livelihood may push them precisely to the Dark Web criminals' open harms. 

It's not the first time this year the net has influenced and intervened in the Covid-19 related issues. Over the last year, the volume of fake news spreading around the net was massive. Cyber-attacks on the health systems have tripled themselves, and the role of cybersecurity magnitude even more than usual. But if in regular times it's a bit clearer who's in the right, this time there are “ordinary people”, some of them are our friends and family, who insist that the pro-vaccine group of people is in the wrong and commit a shameful violation of their human rights.

While in most countries, this conflict is still in a phase of future theoretical concern for the lack of vaccines and a low percent of vaccinated, in Israel, it's a vivid, actual situation.  With a population of approximately 9 million people, Israel was one of the first countries to commence the operation of the vaccination after the cease life of 6165 people who got contagious by the Covid-19. As for now, Israel has the highest number of vaccinated populations, with 4,708,189 citizens immunized by two dozes of vaccination. Still, there is a colossal and meaningful argument internally regarding the restrictions applying to non-vaccinated citizens.

The country, Israel, was vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine. Due to the fact that Israel acted as a vaccination pioneer and due to Israel’s unique medical system that encompasses the lifespan data of each of its citizens, it was the ultimate country from which to collect information regarding the vaccine productiveness, advantages, and weaknesses. 

Pfizer CEO, Albert Bourla, stated in an interview given for the NBC news that Israel is "The world's lab" and added that the Israeli data would provide significant indications regarding the vaccine. This created even more hostility among the vaccine objectors, saying they will not be a "lab mouse" and raised the ethical argument about delivering the Israeli citizen's private medical information to a private pharmaceutical corporation without public permission.

In January 2021, Prof. Eitan Friedman, Chairman of the Helsinki Committee for Medical Experiments on Humans, said: "Israel does not conduct a clinical trial, and there does not prevent getting vaccinated. But we want to ensure that Israeli citizens' rights and privacy are protected even when clinical research is carried out. "

Allegedly, the database guaranteed to Pfizer will be anonymous but will include detailed data on Corona patients and information from their medical records from the Israeli national medical services, medical history, background diseases, details of tests, prescriptions records, reports on symptoms, hospitalization information, isolation, epidemiological investigation and more.

Is it ethical? Some will say yes while others will oppose this answer. But with the circumstances we are dealing with, perhaps the question is, "Are the pros more significant than the cons?" There is no clear-cut answer regarding this question. Still, if one wishes to examine the fundamental facts, at present, Israel is the only country that has restarted its economy, businesses and prevented more death toll from Covid-19.  We, as a society, have been enlightened that drastic times call for extreme measures, and sadly they don't always harmonize with ethics.