(December 21, 2021 at 6:19 pm)HappySkeptic Wrote: It sounds like this article was a criticism of one company and its shoddy clinical trial practices in general, and is not specifically a claim that the Covid trials are invalid. However, it implies such a thing, and will thereby be used by anti-vaxers as "proof" that the Pfizer vaccine was never properly tested. After reading the article, the breaches of protocol likely wouldn't have a huge impact on the results of something like COVID. It isn't like the subconscious signals from a nurse who saw unmasked data is going to stop someone coughing their lungs out from COVID, or stop them from dying of a complication.
Here's the thing about science -- one really good trial can be definitive, but the problem with a single trial is that scientists don't actually have direct access to the protocols and procedures actually done. They only have access to what is "claimed" to be have been done. Scientists often take the reputation of the team into account, as well as the data.
Trials are best done by separate independent teams, in separate countries, as has been done for the COVID vaccines.
The FDA is nothing more than a rubber stamp. They have no ability to police bad science. Likewise, the FAA is also a rubber stamp, and can't police bad Boeing airplane software.
The science/scientists will work things out. I'm more concerned about Meta's "fact checking" policies and abilities. Based on this instance it sounds like more lip service than sincere effort.
Being told you're delusional does not necessarily mean you're mental.
