Lars kicked things off by mentioning former presidential candidate RFK Jr., who has achieved a small following with his unhinged anti-vaccine views. Then, we moved on to one of several important infectious disease issues: the return of measles in the U.S., where it was nearly eradicated 24 years ago.
Lars questioned whether making vaccines mandatory is the way to go, especially after the last few years have made people wary of government mandates. I reminded him that liberty has limits, much like seatbelt laws and traffic lights, and the constitutionally permitted smallpox vaccine mandates of the last century. Lars then poked at the proof of vaccine efficacy. I explained that clinical trials with placebo groups show that most vaccines do significantly prevent infections, although the current COVID vaccines are an exception: They "only" reduce severe illness, hospitalization, and death, even if they don’t significantly prevent transmission. (The vaccines tested, approved, and distributed beginning in 2020 did prevent infection by the original Wuhan strain of the COVID virus.)
Finally, Lars wondered why public health officials don’t push for attaining higher vitamin D levels in treating COVID. We discuss the not-so-solid evidence and risk of toxicity. My bottom line: healthcare must be based not on speculation, but on actual evidence.
You can find the entire audio discussion here.
Want more?
Count Your Children After the Measles Has Passed
How Anti-Vaccine Kooks and Quacks Lie to You
Can Vitamin D Play a Role in Treating or Preventing COVID-19?
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD, is the Glenn Swogger Distinguished Fellow at the American Council on Science and Health. His research focuses on public policy toward science, technology, and medicine, encompassing a number of areas, including pharmaceutical development, genetic engineering, models for regulatory reform, precision medicine, and the emergence of new viral diseases. Dr. Miller served for fifteen years at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a number of posts, including as the founding director of the Office of Biotechnology.
