The return of measles—an unnecessary sequel

[摘要] Concerns over fake news and alternative facts have permeated the fabricof our daily life. Trust in entrenched establishments seems to be at an alltime low. I grew up in the 1960s; I grew up with “don’t trust the man.” I grew up withthe Vietnam War, Watergate, and the military-industrial complex, and I have read andheard enough since then to know that a good amount of our distrust was well founded.More recently, there has been increased public scrutiny of the “pharmaceutical-medical complex,” with concerns being raised in the media and by legislators regardingdrug pricing, seemingly inappropriate physician prescribing of medications encouragedby drug manufacturers, and the overall costs of medical care. And yes, there is thefi nger-pointing related to the opioid epidemic. Yet despite these concerns directed atthe medical community, as recently as December 2018, a Gallup poll (N = 1,025 USadults) found that physicians were the second most trusted professionals in the UnitedStates. (Nurses were number 1!)So why are we, the trustworthy, having such a tough time convincing people to getroutine vaccines for themselves and for their kids? In a sea of truthopenia, we need todo more.

[学科分类] 卫生学