- Monday, March 27, 2023

According to the latest Morning Consult poll, one-third of Republicans remain skeptical of the coronavirus vaccine. And to be honest, that’s not surprising. Public health and government officials have continuously shot themselves in the foot — intentionally or not — since the virus hit U.S. shores in early 2020.

After strongly condemning for more than two years any suggestion that the virus could have originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology as misinformation, a federal agency last month assessed that scenario as likely — a conclusion reinforced in March testimony by Robert Redfield, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As a result, skepticism toward the government and its recommendations is understandable.

With hindsight bias, it’s evident that many of the prolonged lockdowns that were intended to slow the coronavirus’s spread did more harm than good. The mental health of school-age children was compromised, small businesses struggled to stay afloat, and the physical health of adults deteriorated as regular medical appointments were skipped.

Americans have a right to be angry about how things unfolded. People were misled, and transparency took a back seat to political expediency. But conservatives should be careful. They shouldn’t allow this period of poorly managed public health policy to grow into a lasting anti-science attitude.

A knee-jerk anti-vaccine sentiment is dangerous. The trend, which started on the left during the Trump administration and migrated to the right under President Biden, threatens to undermine the future health of all Americans.

A mountain of evidence suggests that coronavirus vaccines are safe and effective at helping to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death. While Americans should — and do — have the right to make their own health care decisions, it’s important to continue using science and history as our North Star.

What do we know?

Vaccines have been used for decades to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The fights against polio, measles and mumps are storied examples.

These vaccines undergo rigorous testing and thorough review before being authorized. The system is spearheaded by the Food and Drug Administration. This government agency provides the world’s gold standard when it comes to ensuring that treatments, therapies and vaccines are safe.

In regard to the coronavirus vaccines, although a health emergency opened the door for a streamlined approval process, the FDA’s high safety and efficacy standard was not jeopardized. And the quick authorization was a godsend for older or otherwise compromised Americans who faced the worst odds if or when they confronted the virus.

So where did the anti-vaccine sentiment come from?

It’s fueled by a combination of misinformation, mistrust in government, and political polarization. The rumor mill has churned out conspiracy theories, including false claims that vaccines contain microchips or that the injections are part of a sinister government plot. From the opposite political perspective, these can be compared to the outrageous claim that Donald Trump was a Russian agent who had infiltrated the White House.

The politicization of vaccines has cemented the hesitancy, with some conservatives viewing vaccines as an opportune moment to stand up for personal freedom. I value liberty as much as the next red-blooded conservative, but bucking well-sourced public health recommendations for the sake of being a contrarian is dangerous. Disease doesn’t discriminate based on politics.

At the same time, policymakers, media pundits and other influencers should avoid ridiculing Americans who are vaccine skeptical. And social media platforms should think twice before instituting censorship. These practices only backfire, leading to further distrust and resistance to recommendations endorsed by public health institutions.

Moving forward, the best way to restore confidence is to be transparent and, most importantly, recognize when to admit you don’t have all the answers. This is a lesson both Republicans and Democrats need to learn to remedy the situation and restore confidence in public health institutions.

That way, we can be ready when the next public health crisis comes our way.

• Jamey Bowers is an owner and partner at Berman and Co.

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