Vaccines are popular, actually
I have a new article in the New York Times today challenging an under-appreciated point about America's vaccine debate. While most headlines focus on declining coverage and growing hesitancy, they're missing a bigger point: vaccines are very popular.
There is not much we can all agree on these days. Americans diverge on everything from religion to education to sports to their preferred news sources. Yet vaccination rates consistently exceed 80%, and often 90% for most childhood immunizations. Even the seasonal flu vaccine, which is optional, yearly, and only partially effective, reaches more Americans than voted in our last presidential election.
Here's what I found most striking when researching this topic: When researchers studied public perception of vaccine safety, they discovered something important. Dwelling on controversies amplifies them. In one study, 90% of Czech doctors trusted Covid-19 vaccines, yet most people believed only half of doctors supported them. When this misconception was corrected, vaccine uptake increased significantly.
I do not say this to make light of concerning trends in politics and public sentiment. Gaps in MMR coverage have already led to measles outbreaks, including a large one unfolding in West Texas. And with influential voices questioning vaccine safety, there's work to be done to protect public health programs that have prevented countless deaths and disabilities.
Yet sometimes the most powerful message is also the simplest one: for the majority of Americans, vaccines aren't controversial at all.
Read my article over at the NYT for the full story. This is a gift link, with no paywall.
Sorely needed perspective— thank you!
I learned last year that I could get free vaccines at CVS pharmacies, and I've been getting them all! Who knows if this will last with RFK "going wild on health"!