Take It From a Scientist. Facts Matter, and They Don’t Care How You Feel

[Silly Deity]

The New York Times published an opinion article by Francis Collins, former director of the Human Genome Project and director of the US National Institutes of Health. He presided over the latter in the early part of the pandemic and during the development of vaccines for Covid.

You can find the article online here but to summarise he outlines the development of the vaccines and rightly bemoans the number of Americans who refused to get vaccinated, even when vaccination was free. He notes that white evangelical Christians, of whom he is one, were the most highly resistant to getting vaccinated. 

He goes on to say, "We are in serious trouble when some believe that their faith requires them to distrust science........."

All very laudable but I can't see conspiracy-spreading, anti-science evangelical church leaders being put-off by such criticism or the credulous and the gullible inclined to be persuaded....sadly.

[brewerb]

If they want to get to heaven sooner it's fine by me. But don't do stupid things that might take me out also.

Can we isolate the dangerous intentionally ignorant from the rest of society?

[Cavebear]

If they want to get to heaven sooner it's fine by me. But don't do stupid things that might take me out also.

Can we isolate the dangerous intentionally ignorant from the rest of society?

If the stupid are happy to die not getting vaccinated, OK by me. The anti-vac are usually crazed theists. The fewer the better.

[Silly Deity]

If they want to get to heaven sooner it's fine by me. But don't do stupid things that might take me out also.

Can we isolate the dangerous intentionally ignorant from the rest of society?

If the stupid are happy to die not getting vaccinated, OK by me.  The anti-vac are usually crazed theists.  The fewer the better.

In the article Collins states “The consequences of vaccine misinformation have been utterly tragic.” You can say the same about misinformation about climate change, which he mentions but does not discuss and that's a problem for all of us not just the idiotic vaccine deniers.

[Dānu]

It points to a growing distrust of sources of authority and expertise. That benefits a minority clinging to power but is very destructive to society as a whole.

[pattylt]

Evangelicals tend to highly respect Collins…he’s become very religious. It’ll be interesting to see if they take anything to heart here…their stubborn ignorance of vaccines vs a Christian authority figure.

[Alan V]

The New York Times published an opinion article by Francis Collins, former director of the Human Genome Project and director of the US National Institutes of Health. He presided over the latter in the early part of the pandemic and during the development of vaccines for Covid.

You can find the article online here but to summarise he outlines the development of the vaccines and rightly bemoans the number of Americans who refused to get vaccinated, even when vaccination was free. He notes that white evangelical Christians, of whom he is one, were the most highly resistant to getting vaccinated. 

He goes on to say, "We are in serious trouble when some believe that their faith requires them to distrust science........."

All very laudable but I can't see conspiracy-spreading, anti-science evangelical church leaders being put-off by such criticism or the credulous and the gullible inclined to be persuaded....sadly.

Unfortunately, the human brain is far too easily compartmentalized.

[Reltzik]

[Francis Collins] goes on to say, "We are in serious trouble when some believe that their faith requires them to distrust science........."

Channeling my inner John McClane here...

Welcome to the party, pal!

[Vorpal]

Scientists, being human and possessing an understanding of how and why empathy evolved in humans, do care about feelings but won't let them alter their findings.

[mordant]

A lot of the cognitive dissonance around Covid vaccinations are that they are not like other vaccines in a couple of important ways: they do not convey long-term, much less permanent immunity (indeed the mRNA vaccine's protection from infection fades after about 60 days); and, there are unpleasant side effects (again, from the mRNA vaccines). Combine this with the reports early in the pandemic that these vaccines were "100% effective" and a godsend and people had built-in unrealistic expectations.

They are willing to get one or two shots with no more discomfort than the shot itself. Anything beyond that, does not compute.

In addition, Covid has become a bit less virulent and deadly over time and people are lulled into a false sense of complacency because they get it a couple of times and it's not that bad --- not realizing they increase their chance of permanent disability every time it happens. Also, the government -- and this is against 100% of the virologists I follow -- are treating it like an annual flu vaccine, which is premature at best and possibly will prove just plain wrong.

As a person over 65 I try to finagle a shot every 4 months or so -- one mRNA and the rest, Novavax, which is often available without appointment and they don't check your past shots, and, if you claim to be immune compromised they have to give it to you and can't demand that you prove it.