The physician-scientist: defending vaccines and combating antiscience
As the antivaccination movement becomes more mainstream and vaccine coverage drops to below critical numbers in more areas of the United States, successfully conveying the safety and importance of vaccination has become a matter of life and death. The 555 measles cases reported to date in 2019 signal the beginning of a looming crisis: at least 100,000 children in the United States are not fully vaccinated, and parental requests for vaccination exceptions are on the rise. Peter Hotez details the history of vaccines and describes the modern “antivax” movement, which is driven by fear, misinformation, as well as political motives. The Viewpoint urges physician-scientists to engage with the public and communicate accurate information about vaccination to reverse the tide of antiscience sentiment before it is too late.
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