Why Should I Trust You? Vaccines and Public Health. Brinda Adhikari and Tom Johnson

In the five years since the COVID pandemic began, trust in public health institutions and vaccines has plummeted. According to a new opinion poll, just over half of the public now says they trust the Food and Drug Administration to make the right recommendations on health issues at least “a fair amount,” down from nearly two-thirds (65%) in June 2023.

About 1 in 4 Republicans parents now say they’ve akipped or delayed some children’s vaccines.

"Why Should I Trust You?" is a new podcast about why so many Americans have lost trust in science and public health. We hear from two of the show's co-hosts, journalists Brinda Adhikari and Tom Johnson. They speak about what they've learned from a remarkably broad range of skeptics, scientists and doctors who have different opinions about vaccines and public policy on healthcare.

"How Do We Fix It?" reports on the people, projects and ideas of Braver Angels, America's volunteer-led cross-partisan movement working to bring people together across rigid lines of partisan division.

Braver Angels' Truth and Trust Project was featured on episode 414 of "How Do We Fix It?". This work aims to bridge divides among people with different views on official responses to the pandemic. Braver Angels helped Brinda and Tom as they launched their podcast.

Tom Johnson is an award winning producer with experience in documentary series, digital, cable and network news. Brinda Adhikari is the former executive producer of The Problem with John Stewart.

This episode also looks at the changing public comments from Robert F Kennedy Jr., who may be the most powerful voice in US public health today. As we release this episode he's set to become President Trump's Health and Human Services Secretary.

Kennedy's Senate nomination hearings have been highly contentious. To critics he's a destructive vaccine skeptic and spreader of conspiracy theories. Many Trump supporters see Kennedy as a hero and a fighter, willing to take on a broken healthcare system.

We also learn more about the remarkable contrast between the high level of distrust over the introduction of vaccines against COVID, and what happened during the 1950’s after the polio vaccine was introduced. Then there was a huge amount of acceptance. Some thought the vaccine was almost a gift from God. The vaccine reduced fear and increased trust of doctors and public health officials.

Thank you to Braver Angels for help with making this episode.

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