Science, Anti-Vaxxers and What It Means to Believe
June 2021
Like you, I am also tired of living in pandemic1. It was an exciting and terrifying adventure at the start: What will working from home be like? What will happen to us all? Will we ever find toilet paper? But once again, we've learned that humans are incredibly resilient and adaptable. We soon found "the new normal", and began the work of "getting through this together". No matter your political leanings, we all agreed, we'd like this to be over as soon as possible. Most agreed that a vaccine would be the best way out of this. If you are anti-lockdown for economic reasons, but also anti-vax, you are a walking contradiction.
Here Comes the Science
"Trust the science".
"Follow the science".
I am sure those are two sentences that anti-vaxxers are sick of hearing. Yet the fact is, we all trust the science, every single day. If you keep your food in a refrigerator, you trust the science. If you drive a car, you trust the science2. If you have been on a bridge, if you've been to the dentist, if you have used a cellphone or a computer, you indeed trust the science. The real question is: why do we look at medical science with a skepticism that we don't have when it comes to bridges or cellphones?
The answer to that might lie in the history of medicine. As long as we have had medicine, we have had quackery. All sorts of miracle cures and products that deliver nothing, and in some cases, actually leave the patient worse off than they began with3.
In modern times, the media has played a large role in the mistrust of established medicine. When I say "media", I do not mean all journalism, as it has come to be interpreted as such. Instead, I refer to 24 hour news channels, almost all of which implore you to "ask your doctor if <insert medicine here> is right for you". People have rightfully become skeptical of pharmaceuticals that are buying huge swaths of air time to push pills you don't know if you need or not. With each ad, we are less trusting of medicine, and now I believe we are reaping what cable news has sown.
I Want To Believe
To "believe" - maybe one of the most nuanced verbs in the English language. What we accept as truth can vary widely from individual to individual, and indeed, the right to believe is a protected right4. No one can force you what to think or believe.
For someone who will not get the COVID-19 vaccine, because of a belief that is held, whether it is based on evidence or not, seems to be within their rights. It is then the burden of the medical and scientific communities to convince and persuade with evidence the realities of the vaccine. This is an uphill battle, considering that most people are scientifically illiterate. In fact, the 2 countries with the highest rate of tertiary education among people 25-64 are Russia and Canada at just 54% (the US is 8th at 44%)5.
Back to the business of "belief" then: what evidence is required for a belief in something? I am putting forth that the evidence required to form a belief is dependent on the type of belief. In other words, a scientific or medical belief requires scientific or medical evidence. A spiritual or religious belief requires spiritual or religious evidence. A legal belief requires legal evidence. When these wires are crossed, things fall apart very quickly.
The Path Forward
So, where do we go from here? How can doctors and scientists convince people with little scientific literacy of scientific truths? How can people who do not have the tools to interpret medical or scientific claims, we are constantly being tricked by advertisements, find the truth about these vaccines. The answer is: humility.
Each one of us, no matter our position or level of education, are going to have to come to terms with that fact that we do not know everything or even understand everything. In some aspects of life, each of us may be an expert. But in most aspects, we are not. Those who are experts will need to exercise a key attribute of humility: patience. And those who are not experts will need to foster a key attribute of humility: teachability. Without these attributes of humility, there will be no path forward. No matter what side you find yourself on, exercise humility. No one can be shouted into understanding, and no one can be saved in ignorance.