Bill Maher, Vaccines and Modern Medicine
I regularly watch Real Time with Bill Maher and generally agree with many of the political views and ideas that he espouses. In fact, I am a fan! However, his rant two weeks ago about the H1N1 vaccines, and vaccination in general, showed me that while politically astute and incisive he has absolutely no understanding about science and modern medicine (see video below). Making matters worst, his guest, former conservative senator Bill Frist, a surgeon by training, was ill prepared to correct and refute some of Maher’s outrageous assertions regarding the differences between the two currently available H1N1 vaccines and the basic principles of vaccinology.
Maher is quick to tell people that they are stupid when they don’t agree with his ideas or political views. And, he rightfully criticized George W. Bush for routinely making decisions about important issues based on “his gut feelings” rather than facts. Ironically, this is exactly what Bill Maher does when he talks to his guests about medicine and food. Maher, who may be a vegetarian and is clearly anti-traditional medicine, is quick to point out that Westernized medicine and food production is profit driven and consequently, any information or advice offered by the US government is little more than a ploy to keep people sick and fat. In other words, don’t trust anything that the government tells you if you believe otherwise or you heard it from a celebrity.
I suspect that science wasn’t Bill’s “cup of tea” (he frequently calls the tea baggers who don’t trust anything that the Obama administration tells them idiots and morons) and may have never taken anything he learned about science seriously. If he had, he might have learned how vaccines work and realized that modern vaccines (the first vaccines were produced in the 1780s) protect over 95% of people who receive them from devastating childhood diseases and even cervical cancer. Instead, he cites bogus and scientifically refuted claims about vaccine safety including mercury poisoning, links to autism and the miniscule possibility of developing Guerin-Barr Syndrome (which was first observed in large number of patients following vaccination with the 1976 Swine Flu vaccine). Shockingly, despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary he continues to spew misinformation and flat-out wrong claims about vaccines. Ironically, his wrong-headed vaccine tirades are remarkably similar to those of the Birthers —people who refuse to believe that President Obama is an American despite incontrovertible evidence to the contrary—and racists who contend that Obama is a Muslim—two groups that he is quick to bash and dismiss as crazies and morons. In other words, Maher believes that he is right even though he is clearly misinformed or wrong!
Originally, I was going to write this post after Maher’s “Real Time” tirade about vaccines almost two weeks ago on Real Time. However, I relented but couldn’t help myself after reading an article in today’s Scientist Times about a pregnant woman who lost her second child after she contracted the flu. As many of you may know, pregnant women are very susceptible to influenza which could have serous consequences for the mother and baby. This is an exchange the woman had with a physical therapist with whom she was working to regain muscle control after being hospitalized (and near death) for almost 4 months:
“Have you ever read the labels?” she (the physical therapist asked). “They’re so full of toxins.”
Asked if she realized that a shot, had it existed in June, might have saved her client and her baby, she frowned and went back to her clipboard.
Are you kidding me—full of toxins? This is exactly what Maher was trying to imply during his anti-vaccine rant on Real Time. Unfortunately, millions of people listen to him and celebrities like Oprah, Dr. Phil and Maher and many believe (and blindly follow) their recommendations and advice. While this may not be a problem when talking about hair color, books to read or weight loss it is extremely troubling and dangerous when it comes to scientific and medical advice. The problem is that a vast majority of Americans are scientifically illiterate and are either incapable or unwilling to analyze and evaluate scientific or medical information on their own. This forces many people to rely on the Internet, government agencies and sometimes healthcare professionals to do their medical and scientific thinking for them. And when things go wrong, or not as advertised, they are quick to accuse the government or the healthcare industry of withholding information and engaging in nefarious conspiracies. This is exacerbated by the fact that science and medical reporting in the US is grossly inadequate, often wrong and frequently designed to be as sensationalistic as possible. Is it any wonder why the American public is often confused and misinformed about science and medicine?
My scientific training has taught me to analyze and evaluate all available data before I draw any conclusions on a topic. And, as an infectious disease expert I believe that childhood vaccines are unequivocally safe and effective. To that end, they have substantially reduced the morbidity and mortality associated with mumps, measles, diphtheria, whooping cough, pneumonia, tetanus, almost eradicated polio and eliminated smallpox from the planet. There is no doubt that there are risks associated with vaccination and that a small number of those vaccinated may experience some side effects or serious adverse events. But, the small risks associated with modern vaccines don’t outweigh the benefits and positive effects on billions of people who may have lost their lives if they hadn’t been developed in the first place. I wonder whether or not an anti-vaccine movement would exist today if smallpox and polio were still causing as much death, disfigurement and paralysis as they had prior to development of the smallpox and polio vaccines in the mid 20th century.
In closing, as an American, I believe that everybody is entitled to their opinions and the right to freely express them. However, I implore Bill Maher get the FACTS right before summarily bashing a topic and making recommendations to the millions of people who watch Real Time and believe what he says. Otherwise, he is no smarter or better than the ignorant, close-minded, right wingers who he regularly trashes on his show.
Until next time...
Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!!!
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Do you lie awake a night overwhelmed by the possibility of another infectious disease outbreak? Well, if you want to get a good night’s sleep, I highly recommend that you take a look at a brief history of American epidemics that was published in this past Sunday’s New York Times. According to the 
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