Know why Muslim countries are concerned about Covid-19 vaccines and why is 'Halal certification' important?

With the world fighting the coronavirus pandemic and pharma companies are in the race to develop COVID-19 vaccine, Muslim countries around the world have raised concerns regarding the use of pork-gelatin in these vaccines. These concerns comes in the wake of pork-derived gelatin, being widely used as a stabilizer in vaccines to ensure that they remain safe and effective during storage and transport, Associated Press reported.

How the question arose?

The concerns were first raised by the Muslim clerics of Indonesia when Indonesian diplomats were about to finalise Covid vaccine deals with China, to ensure millions of doses reached Indonesian citizen. The clerics had a concern whether the Covid-19 vaccine was permissible for use under Islamic law.

Pork-derived gelatin has been widely used as a stabilizer to ensure vaccines remain safe and effective during storage and transport. However, some companies have worked for years to develop pork-free vaccines. Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis has produced a pork-free meningitis vaccine, while Saudi and Malaysia-based AJ Pharma is currently working on one of their own.

Why pork-gelatin is important for vaccines?

Dr Salman Waqar, General Secretary of the British Islamic Medical Association, however believes that demand, existing supply chains, cost and the shorter shelf life of vaccines not containing porcine gelatin means the ingredient is likely to continue to be used in a majority of vaccines for years.

Spokespeople for Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca have said that pork products are not part of their Covid-19 vaccines. But limited supply and preexisting deals worth millions of dollars with other companies means that some countries with large Muslim populations, such as Indonesia will receive vaccines that have not yet been certified to be gelatin-free.

Indian cleric's stand

Meanwhile, Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali, a Muslim leader in Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, has advised people of his community to receive the vaccine instead of involving themselves to be a part of any rumour.

This is specially a problem with Orthodox Jews and Muslims who do not consume pork products and hence how this ban applies to medicines.

"There’s a difference of opinion amongst Islamic scholars as to whether you take something like pork gelatin and make it undergo a rigorous chemical transformation,"Associated Press quoted Dr Salman Waqar. "Is that still considered to be religiously impure for you to take?"

The majority consensus from past debates over pork gelatin use in vaccines is that it is permissible under Islamic law, as 'greater harm' would occur if the vaccines weren't used, said Dr Harunor Rashid, an associate professor at the University of Sydney, as per AP.

What Orthodox Jewish community has to say?

There’s a similar assessment by a broad consensus of religious leaders in the Orthodox Jewish community as well. "According to the Jewish law, the prohibition on eating pork or using pork is only forbidden when it's a natural way of eating it," said Rabbi David Stav, chairman of Tzohar, a rabbinical organization in Israel.

"If it's injected into the body, not through the mouth, then there is no prohibition and no problem, especially when we are concerned about sicknesses," he said.

(With Agency Inputs)