Scientific breakthroughs in the COVID-19 era: embracing Ernst Mayr towards an epistemic renewal of Medicine

The present study examines the development of medical science during the COVID-19 pandemic in light of Ernst Mayr's critique of Thomas Kuhn's philosophy of scientific revolutions. Kuhn's model, which emphasizes paradigm shifts and disruptive changes in scientific practice, contrasts with the evolutionary and cumulative nature of biological sciences, as argued by Mayr. Revisiting Mayr's critique, we question the applicability of Kuhn's model to the COVID-19 pandemic by using vaccine development as a case study. We argue that the rapid advancements in vaccine technology, particularly mRNA-based vaccines, are better understood as the outcome of multiple independent micro-revolutions in scientific fields, such as genetics, pharmacology, and molecular biology. These disciplines have advanced steadily over decades, facilitating the accelerated response to the pandemic. Consequently, the rapid, effective, and game-changing development and implementation of mRNA vaccines represented a major breakthrough in medical science; their trajectory diverged from Kuhn's concepts of scientific revolution and normal science. Through this analysis, we propose rethinking of medical epistemology - one that acknowledges the asynchronous yet non-disruptive progress of the medical sciences. Such a framework not only provides a more accurate understanding of scientific evolution but also offers a valuable tool for addressing societal challenges, such as vaccine hesitancy and public trust in science.