Yes. The debate was about whether highly credentialed and educated experts can be wrong due to perverse incentives. As you pointed out, yes they can.
You can find so-called experts on both sides of any issue, so saying “a subset of so-called experts agree with me” is not a slam dunk argument.
I’m inclined to agree. But that demonstrates the point: you can find highly credentialed and educated experts on both sides of any issue.
Vaccines are unique in that one side (big pharma) has unlimited money, while the other side (doctors, scientists, and parents) don’t have nearly the same funding, and stand to lose everything by speaking out, yet still do at great personal cost.
It’s not a 1 in a million chance. It’s a lot higher.
Do you know how vaccines (live attenuated or adjuvanated) work?
Many prominent antivaxxers are MDs. A Nobel prize winner in immunology ranks among antivaxxers. There are experts on both sides.
Highly educated and credentialed people have complex disagreements on both subjects.
Climate change: that the climate changes and is changing is self-evident, but how it will change and how much of that change is influenced by human activity is a subject of fierce debate.
Vaccines: while nobody thinks that vaccines are never effective, studies consistently show links between high vaccination and chronic health issues, leading to many highly credentialed and educated doctors and researchers arguing that vaccines are a risk factor for SIDs and allergic rhinitis.
Henry Ford Health recently conducted a large study, which they themselves described as near perfect, that showed links to many chronic health conditions, though not autism.
But there are plenty of antivaxxers with PHDs…
The idea that its scientists vs bloggers was created by PR firms. It’s scientists and bloggers vs scientists and bloggers. Both sides have geniuses and idiots.
False dichotomy. There are credentialed doctors and scientists on both sides. It’s just that the actual research keeps coming down on the antivaxxer’s side.
Example: Henry Ford Health Dr. Marcus Zervos.
I’ve never once met the stereotype antivaxxer (dumb, thinks apple cider vinegar cures cancer, etc). I have a bunch of anti-vax coworkers (ironic as I work in healthcare) and they’re highly educated, normal people who don’t drink raw milk (though I’ve tried it and it’s just … milk.)
What did ChatGPT tell him to do, exactly?
What antivax “think tanks” are paying 10x a doctor’s salary? And why? There’s not exactly a lot of money in it.
If money is your motivation, you work for Pharma, not against them.