Quillette Podcast RFK Jr.’s Unprecedented Attack on Life-saving Vaccines
Sep 6, 2025
Jake Scott, a board-certified infectious diseases physician at Stanford, dives deep into the dangers of rolling back vaccinations and the resurgence of vaccine misinformation. He debunks myths linking vaccines to autism and explains the science behind mRNA technology. The conversation highlights misconceptions about vaccine effectiveness and explores innovative treatments for RSV. Scott also sheds light on the political maneuvers eroding trust in health policies, emphasizing the urgent need for accurate public health communication.
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Thimerosal Removal Didn’t Cut Autism Rates
- Large cohort studies show no association between thimerosal and autism, and autism rates kept rising after thimerosal removal.
- This temporal pattern strongly contradicts thimerosal as a causal explanation.
Success Breeds Skepticism
- Vaccine opposition often follows a vaccine's success because people stop seeing the disease's harms.
- When diseases vanish, perceived vaccine risks become magnified relative to the threat.
Firsthand Losses Early in the Pandemic
- In 2020–2021 Jake Scott treated hundreds of COVID patients and lost over 100, including younger adults.
- He recalls a patient in his 30s who died despite not appearing obviously unwell in public.