Years of Unprovoked Distrust Towards C.D.C. Escalates to Shooting in Atlanta

On Friday, a 30-year-old man opened fire on the Atlanta C.D.C(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) headquarters, killing a police officer and dying himself afterwards. This may have been the direct result of the buildup of misinformation involving the Coronavirus vaccines and the C.D.C.

Despite all the research and testing done to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines were safe for use for the overall public, some were still hesitant to use them. This was in large part due to the constant circulation of conspiracy theories on the internet, though false religious beliefs and general misinformation also played a significant role. “Controversies on vaccine safety, that circulate vigorously in news headlines, talk shows, and popular articles also upsurge the vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine behavior in the community,” states the National Institute of Health. Unfortunately, this does not seem to have stopped, with many such forms of media still thriving today.

Political affairs may have also meddled with the public’s view of vaccines. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made many false accusations against the C.D.C, including calling the COVID-19 shot the “deadliest vaccine ever created”. He also promotes commonly debunked anti-vaccine myths to the public. One of his main claims states that “autism comes from vaccines.” This has been disproven by multiple studies in numerous different countries. Many of the claims are just as or exceedingly wild, with Dr David Elliman, a consultant in community child health, stating outright that he has “an utter disregard for the evidence”.

Kennedy has caused more problems than just spreading faulty information. Last week, Mr. Kennedy canceled nearly $500 million in grants and contracts for developing mRNA vaccines. Many scientists consider this the “best way to protect people during a pandemic” (The New York Times).