A leading U.S. health official on Sunday urged people to get inoculated against the measles at a time of outbreaks across several states and as the United States is at risk of losing its measles elimination status.
“Take the vaccine, please,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator whose boss has raised suspicion about the safety and importance of vaccines. “We have a solution for our problem.”
Oz, a heart surgeon, defended some recently revised federal vaccine recommendations as well as past comments from President Donald Trump and the nation’s health chief, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., about the efficacy of vaccines. From Oz, there was a clear message on the measles.
People can compartmentalize. He can be completely all over the science and believe it factually as part of medicine while also believing that spouting nonsense that is unscientific is valid if he says so, as he’s a doctor. His self interest can override his knowledge, in particular if it feeds his ego, as being a celebrity doctor would.
All doctors and scientists simplify their messaging when dealing with non scientists as a means to help them understand concepts they don’t have a grounding in. That simplification is often factually incorrect. It’s a slippery slope.
Particularly in this modern world. Our brains in general seek order and certainty, but almost everything is on a spectrum. So when scientist talk in facts and absolutes, it’s easy to negate their message with edge cases or precise sticking points that they are ignoring for simplicity. Take vaccines. They have known side effects. They are deemed safe. People can still die. Cars and planes are likewise deemed safe.