Howie and Harlan are joined by Peter Hotez, a vaccine expert and an outspoken opponent of health misinformation, to discuss vaccine skepticism and the forces—from wellness influencers to HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—that amplify it. Harlan reports on research reinforcing the link between social media and mental illness; Howie highlights two potential areas of common ground with the administration's health policy.

Show notes:

Social Media and Mental Health

"Social Media Detox and Youth Mental Health"

"Study Finds Mental Health Benefit to One-Week Social Media Break"

Peter Hotez

Peter Hotez: Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces That Threaten Our World

Peter Hotez: Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism: My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad

"Scientist pressured by Musk and Rogan to debate RFK Jr over anti-vaccine misinformation says he won't be part of 'Jerry Springer' show"

Peter Hotez on X

"Kennedy Says He Told C.D.C. to Change Website's Language on Autism and Vaccines"

"Wakefield's article linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent"

"Four vaccine myths and where they came from"

"Large-Scale Exome Sequencing Study Implicates Both Developmental and Functional Changes in the Neurobiology of Autism"

"Risk of Autism after Prenatal Topiramate, Valproate, or Lamotrigine Exposure"

"Data investigation: Childhood vaccination rates are backsliding across the U.S."

"South Carolina's Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect of Vaccine Misinformation"

"How a measles outbreak overwhelmed a small West Texas town"

"How polio came back to New York for the first time in decades, silently spread and left a patient paralyzed"

"Third infant in Kentucky dies of whooping cough as national cases stay high for second year in a row"

"Kennedy minimizes measles outbreak in wake of Texas death"

"RFK Jr. claims 'leaky' measles vaccine wanes over time. Scientists say he's wrong."

"RFK Jr. claims measles can be treated with vitamin A, linked to poor diet. Here's what science says"

"The Surprise Ending to the Trump-Mamdani Buddy Movie Has Heads Spinning"

"Operation Warp Speed was one of Trump's biggest achievements. Then came RFK Jr. and vaccine skeptics"

Health & Veritas Episode 196: The Cost Curve, Flu, and Other News

"Weaponized Health Communication: Twitter Bots and Russian Trolls Amplify the Vaccine Debate"

ACA Subsidies

"Trump was going to roll out a health care plan. Then Republicans weighed in."

"Trump Is Considering a Push to Extend Obamacare Subsidies"

Site-Neutral Payment

"The Trump Administration Moves Forward with Medicare Site-Neutral Payment Reform"

"Five Things to Know About Medicare Site-Neutral Payment Reforms"

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Email Howie and Harlan comments or questions.