I consider myself a fairly strong believer in both science and medicine. I have great respect for
the people who dedicate their lives to making us healthier and allowing for us to live longer.
However, I think that it is highly important to vet those we are listening to, especially if
something doesn’t sound quite right, but also because it is the right thing to do. A particularly
large issue in healthcare at the moment is the misinformation presented by individuals with
positional authority, speaking out of turn or in a self-serving fashion.
a a a a Consider someone like Andrew Wakefield, who, in 1998 published a case series with
12 other colleagues suggesting that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine had the
potential to predispose the child recipients to autism (Rao & Andrade, 2011). Though the
publishing has since been retracted and Wakefield discredited, the damage still persists to this
day. While Wakefield et al. used flawed research methods, that has little impact on those with
a confirmation bias, simply looking for an opinion, any opinion, to match their own and cement
their beliefs firmly in place.
a a a a The healthcare industry holds numerous intelligent, respectable, upstanding members.
However, there are a few bad apples that spread the seeds of doubt upon an unwitting public.
TikTok has been fraught with “doctors” who, upon further digging, are nurses, or “nurses” who,
upon further digging, actually work in dietary medicine, spreading misinformation to the
masses. A study by Germani and Biller-Andorno (2021) has indicated that individuals who
identify as “anti-vax” tweet less but engage in deeper discussions than their counterparts and
have a stronger ability to pull in social media celebrities into the conversations. These
behaviors are concerning, particularly during these intense times we are experiencing all over
the worlds, but also because they will likely be trusted by those in doubt or looking for
confirmation bias.
a a a a We also have medical professionals speaking out of turn. A family friend was on the
fence about receiving the newest vaccine because he has had heart issues in the past; he
ultimately obtained the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to visit his daughter living in England.
However, when it came time to get his booster, he expressed greater hesitation. Though his
primary care provider and his cardiologist have both recommended he obtain his booster,
another friend, a former cardiologist who lost his license to practice over a decade ago,
strongly recommended against it and apparently presented quite the compelling argument. The
family friend is now refusing to obtain his booster, despite planning a trip to visit his 100-year-
old mother with a compromised immune system in her assisted living facility.
a a a a There are well-known articles reporting medical professionals losing or surrendering
their licenses due to similar preaching. Thomas Cowan surrendered his medical license to the
medical board in California, who was known for spreading misinformation connecting the
COVID-19 pandemic to 5G cellular internet (Ostrov, 2021). Steven Arthur LaTulippe had his
license to practice medicine revoked by the Oregon Medical Board in 2021 after claiming that
patients could experience carbon dioxide poisoning while wearing face masks (Ellis, 2021).
These are just a few cases of influential healthcare providers being able to use their positional
authority to influence the unsuspecting public with misinformation, which can be one of many
potential implications of having too much faith in medical science.
References
Ellis, R. (2021, September 21). Doctor who claimed masks hurt health loses license. WebMD.
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210920/doctor-who-claimed-masks-hurt-health-loses-
license
Germani, F., & Biller-Andorno, N. (2021). The anti-vaccination infodemic on social media: A
behavioral analysis. PLoS ONE, 16(3). https://doi-
org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1371/journal.pone.0247642
Ostrov, B. F. (2021, February 5). Conspiracy theory doctor surrenders medical license.
CalMatters. https://calmatters.org/health/2021/02/conspiracy-theory-doctor-surrenders-
medical-license/
Rao, T. S. S., & Andrade, C. (2011). The MMR vaccine and autism: Sensation, refutation,
retraction, and fraud. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 53(2), 95-96. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-
5545.82529
