The divisiveness pervading science and medicine has intensified since the COVID-19 pandemic, fueled by debates over vaccines, mandates and public health measures. Although anti-vaccine sentiment predates the pandemic, a small number of rogue physicians and influencers have amplified disinformation, jeopardizing public trust.
Medical doctor and Johns Hopkins University Professor Benjamin Mazer described the post-pandemic bitterness in The Atlantic:
[People are] angry about losing a job, getting bullied into vaccination, or watching children fall behind in a virtual classroom. That legacy of bitterness and distrust is now a major political force. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is on the precipice of leading our nation’s health care system as secretary of Health and Human Services … and the Stanford professor Jay Bhattacharya is expected to be picked to run the National Institutes of Health. These men … are united by a lasting rage over COVID.
Bhattacharya’s nomination has since been announced officially. As one of the three authors of the Great Barrington Declaration (GBD), a statement issued by unorthodox scientists during the pandemic, Bhattacharya promoted outdated and dangerous public health strategies, prioritizing mass infection of the population over proven containment measures.
The GBD proposed addressing COVID-19 by protecting the “vulnerable” (mainly, the elderly) while allowing mass exposure among lower-risk groups to achieve “herd immunity.” Though theoretically plausible early in the pandemic, the rapid emergence of more infectious and dangerous variants made this strategy catastrophic. Even with cautious measures, COVID claimed over 1.3 million lives in the U.S. alone
Allowing the virus to spread among young people inevitably endangered older populations. As NYU neurologist Dr. Jonathan Howard wrote in “We Want Them Infected,” his book that took a critical look at rogue scientists like Bhattacharya: “You cannot hermetically seal off the vulnerable from the rest of society, especially not in a country as interconnected as the United States.”
The GBD also ignored vaccines’ critical role in ending the pandemic. Even after vaccines became available, proponents continued to downplay their importance while opposing measures like masking and testing. This resistance fueled vaccine skepticism, which persists today.
The GBD’s advocates underestimated COVID’s impact, consistently downplaying its risks. For example, Bhattacharya claimed the virus had been “defanged” on five separate occasions between 2021 and 2022, during which 380,000 Americans died. Long COVID — the persistence of symptoms or the appearance of new ones, following the acute infection — continues to afflict millions, including many young, previously healthy individuals.
Howard’s book outlines how herd immunity proponents misled the public, minimizing the virus’ dangers while promoting mass infection. The title, “We Want Them Infected,” is derived from a 2020 email by Paul Alexander, a Trump administration advisor, who advocated infecting young people to accelerate herd immunity.
The GBD became a political tool, embraced by the first Trump administration, to justify lax pandemic policies. Public health measures like masking and vaccination became polarizing issues, undermining trust in science. Diseases like measles, whooping cough and polio, once eradicated, are now resurging as anti-vaccine sentiment spreads.
Proponents of the GBD, including Bhattacharya, continue to influence public health debates. Bhattacharya and coauthor Martin Kulldorff serve on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Public Health Integrity Committee. Bhattacharya’s nomination to head the NIH raises concerns about the future of that renowned institution and of evidence-based public policy.
The flaws of the GBD offer important lessons. Public health policies must be guided by rigorous science, not ideology. Complacency and political interference exacerbate crises, as demonstrated by the politicization of basic precautions like masking and vaccination. Accountability is essential to restoring trust and ensuring better leadership during future pandemics.
The story of the Great Barrington Declaration is a cautionary tale of how ideology and misinformation can undermine public health. Its failures led to unnecessary suffering and eroded trust in science. As we reflect on the pandemic, it is vital to learn from these mistakes and prioritize evidence-based strategies for future crises. In the words of Dr. Howard: “We owe it to the millions of people who have suffered and died to get this right.”
Note: A previous version of this article appeared in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Henry I. Miller, a physician and molecular biologist, is the Glenn Swogger Distinguished Fellow at the American Council on Science and Health. Formerly a research fellow at the NIH, he was the founding director of the FDA’s Office of Biotechnology. Jonathan (Josh) Bloom is the director of chemical and pharmaceutical sciences at the American Council on Science and Health.
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD
Henry I. Miller, MS, MD, is the Glenn Swogger Distinguished Fellow at the American Council on Science and Health. His research focuses on public policy toward science, technology, and medicine, encompassing a number of areas, including pharmaceutical development, genetic engineering, models for regulatory reform, precision medicine, and the emergence of new viral diseases. Dr. Miller served for fifteen years at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a number of posts, including as the founding director of the Office of Biotechnology.
