America’s deadly flirtation with antiscience and the medical freedom movement

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement: PJH holds patents on vaccines for several poverty-related neglected diseases and neglected tropical diseases, including hookworm infection,

Promoting COVID-19 vaccine acceptance: recommendations from the Lancet Commission on Vaccine Refusal, Acceptance, and Demand in the USA

“…This increase also reflects rising anti-vaccine sentiments accelerated through the health freedom movement. 12 The increase in misinformation is fuelled both by long-standing anti-vaccine movements and by foreign interference, with all of these groups capitalising on the algorithms of social media. 13 …”

Communicating science and protecting scientists in a time of political instability

“…After the retraction of The Lancet article in 2010, the antivaccine movement in the USA re-energized by becoming a political movement and aligning itself with far-right groups or the Republican Tea Party, especially in Texas [ 8 ]. Doing so increased the number of people willing to become antivaccine adherents, while affording new opportunities for funding and organization.…”

“…Doing so increased the number of people willing to become antivaccine adherents, while affording new opportunities for funding and organization. The rallying cry was ‘health freedom’ and it gained a strong following, even forming political action committees (PACs) to promote vaccine exemptions with state legislatures [ 8 ]. With the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘health freedom’ expanded to protest COVID-19 prevention measures, including masks and alternative treatments, such as hydroxychloroquine or ivermectin, both drugs shown in most studies to offer no benefit in COVID-19 cases or that could even be harmful.…”

Uncoupling vaccination from politics: a call to action

“…However, in recent years, anti-vaccine activism has received support from some state-level Republican officials during legislative debates over bills to improve vaccine uptake. 2 Today, anti-vaccination groups have successfully married their cause to opposing other COVID-19 mitigation measures, including masking and physical distancing. 3,4 Misinformation is spreading through right-leaning media programmes and platforms, and on social media.…”