Critics of the do-it-yourself approach say that without rigorous scientific trials like the ones currently being conducted around the world, there’s no way to know if the coronavirus vaccine developed in this manner is effective.
As labs around the world race to find a coronavirus vaccine, some are not willing to sit and wait. Among them biologist Preston Estep. He said he has developed a COVID-19 nasal spray and has administered it on himself, his son and other volunteers.
“Over 30 people have taken the vaccine and reported results to us,” Estep told Inside Edition. “There have been a couple of mild headaches. But the vast majority have just experienced nasal congestion. And the headaches have been very short lived.”
Some experts are skeptical of the home-brewed vaccine.
“There’s a long history of scientists doing things like this and experimenting on themselves first, so it’s not a total surprise,” Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, told Inside Edition. “I’m pretty skeptical that we’ll end up finding a vaccine that ends up being widely used using this approach.”
The do-it-yourself vaccine contains ingredients commonly available to scientists who work on vaccinations. But critics say that without rigorous scientific trials like the ones currently being conducted around the world, there’s no way to know if the DIY vaccine is effective.
Jacob Serrano, 23, is the first volunteer in the United States to take part in officially approved trials of the promising vaccine being tested by Oxford University. It’s a personal crusade for Serrano — he’s lost seven family members to COVID-19.
"I will do whatever it takes, so it’s not just for me or my family, it’s for everyone,” Serrano told Inside Edition.
As the world awaits the outcome of the human trials, Estep hopes he may be on the way to solving the puzzle. “We certainly are doing things a little bit differently than have been done historically,” Estep said.
RELATED STORIES
