The vegan community encountered significant challenges to their values during COVID-19. With the vaccine, a product based on animal experimentation, promoted by government authorities and the media, these individuals faced profound ethical decisions. Research findings reveal that despite their critical stance and their aim to protect vulnerable animals, the vegan community has largely compromised their moral values by accepting the vaccine. VERY SAD.
ESTELA M. DIAZ: The enduring concern of animal experimentation sits at the heart of the animal defense movement, propelled by the humanitarian ethos established in the 19th century and the principles of anti-speciesism that emerged in the 20th century. At the same time, within the spectrum of animal advocacy, animal testing is one of the most contentious issues due to the scarcity of viable non-animal alternatives for drug testing and the broad spectrum of stances within the movement. These range from advocating for the outright abolition of animal testing to endorsing its restricted use under specific circumstances. Animal testing intersects with a deeply personal and critical issue: human health.
The COVID-19 crisis, with its heavy reliance on preventive pharmacological interventions developed through animal testing, posed a profound ethical conundrum for animal advocates. Confronted with this unprecedented challenge, we conducted an exploratory study investigating how animal advocates navigated this situation. To capture and picture their perspectives during the COVID-19 2020–2021 period, we conducted an international quantitative study of self-identified vegans and vegetarians (hereafter also referred to as veg*), focusing primarily on their reactions to the mass vaccination drive—the only pharmacological measure against the crisis. We chose these two groups because of the inherent challenge of engaging with a diverse, dynamic, and evolving community. This choice aimed to encompass a breadth of animal advocates whose ethical stances might have been tested by the crisis. Moreover, contrasting these two communities provided a valuable comparative analysis, shedding light on the intricacies within the current animal defense movement.
Since the development of COVID-19 vaccines required animal testing by law, it left no compassionate alternatives that respected the interests of animals. Simultaneously, massive media coverage following authorities and governmental organizations was deployed on the situation and measures. In this context, it was reasonable to think that members of the veg* community, especially vegans, were at an ethical crossroads for facing the potential moral dilemma of choosing between safeguarding animals and protecting humanity.
This study offers a nuanced exploration of the moral quandaries confronted by the vegan and vegetarian community during a worldwide health crisis. Moreover, it illuminates the broader question of moral decision-making within groups whose values deviate from the mainstream, revealing the intricate interplay among personal convictions, societal pressures, and ethical considerations in times of unparalleled challenge…
The veg* community encountered significant challenges to their values during COVID-19, particularly regarding vaccination decisions. With the vaccine—a product based on animal experimentation—presented as the sole solution to end the crisis and promoted by government authorities and the media, these individuals faced profound ethical decisions. This exploratory research has presented findings that compare the responses of ethical vegans and vegetarians to the vaccination challenge. Our results indicate that the veg* community is diverse, with vegans exhibiting the least conformist attitudes and behaviors towards the pandemic management measures.
Nonetheless, the findings also reveal that despite their critical stance and their aim to protect vulnerable populations, the vegan community has largely compromised their moral values by accepting the vaccine. This research enhances the expanding field of veg* studies and animal rights literature by exploring how a health crisis impacts the behaviors and perspectives of ethical vegetarians and vegans. Our study also contributes to shed light on the challenges and biases that a minority group, such as vegans, may face and how they cope with the pressure to go against the mainstream at a time when society is polarized by a single possible discourse that goes against its moral values. SOURCE…
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