‘A breathtaking, beautiful day for science’

Was it pure science that saved us? Some are eagerly taking that as the lesson of yesterday’s new vaccine announcement – but it is worth asking whether there are other heroes in this story. Writer and surgeon Dr Atwul Gawande called the announcement “stunning”. UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the “really, really good news” and suggested that life could return to normal by Easter. One researcher simply said: “A breathtaking, beautiful day for science.” The vaccine was created by a partnership between Oxford's Jenner Institute, named after vaccine pioneer Edward Jenner, and Swedish-British pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca. It is seen as a perfect pairing of scientific excellence and financial brawn. For many, this is the story that will be told in years to come as the moment modern science definitively took its rightful place as humanity's guiding light – laying to rest any lingering competition from religion, philosophy, or art. This story will probably focus on three key points. First, the vaccines demonstrate the very best of the scientific method. While the jabs have been developed quickly, they have also undergone rigorous testing to ensure their safety. The pressure to be the first to produce a vaccine was immense. In Russia, one team tried to win this race by unveiling an experimental treatment that had not been properly tested. But most scientists have refused to succumb to this temptation, instead working quickly but carefully through round after round of clinical trials to ensure the jab would be safe. The second point will be that science also helped to lessen the impact of the virus. From the very earliest stages of the pandemic, it introduced “social distancing” into our vocabulary. It persuaded us to wash our hands and to wear masks. And almost everybody listened. And thirdly, scientific progress only seems to be accelerating. Covid-19 has only existed for one year, and it already has three vaccines. No other vaccine in history has ever been produced so quickly: it took 17 years for a safe, effective polio vaccine to be rolled out in the United States. But many resist this narrative. For them, science is only part of a much wider story – this great breakthrough included. They argue that we survived the pandemic because people supported one another through mutual aid, agreed to abide by restrictions and made sacrifices in the name of the greater good. In this narrative, triumphing over the virus was an ethical success as much as a scientific one. And they suggest that, while scientists have found a safe and effective vaccine at astonishing speed, attempts to manage the pandemic response scientifically were flawed. Behavioural scientists told the government that people would have to be “nudged” into doing the right thing. They tried to manipulate people, rather than persuade them. Ethical philosophers argue that this approach diminishes autonomy. They believe that the best way of persuading people to follow regulations in a democracy is to reason with them, using evidence and clear argument. As such, science ended up clashing with vital democratic principles. Was it science that saved us? Viral success Yes, say some. They argue that scientists have guided us through every stage of this pandemic. Their advice, based on years of research, introduced vital measures like social distancing and masks. Now, working at breakneck speed, they have produced a vaccine to end the crisis once and for all. Failures in the coronavirus response have largely occurred where politicians failed to listen to science. Not really, say others. No-one would deny that the vaccine is a staggering scientific achievement. But it would be equally wrong to ignore the important role of ethics in guiding our response to the pandemic. Pursuing their ethical instincts, people went to great lengths to protect themselves and others, succeeding where behavioural science failed. KeywordsClinical trials - Studies by experts that test whether a new medicine or treatment works and is safe.