Thread by @MarcusBlimi

Let’s talk about yesterday’s interaction with @OJPAC where we discussed differing rates of vaccination among NYS’s Hasidic neighborhoods.

Some might say to let it rest, but after ruminating over this for a bit, I think it’s important to review what happened, and why.

https://twitter.com/MarcusBlimi/status/1402599168711987201

I am a part of the Chassidic community; I grew up in it, I live it it, my friends and family are chassidic. I love them and their culture and their unique way of life more than I can express, even if I don’t live it the same way.

As a nurse, I can also see the problems.

I’ve seen the healthcare barriers for years, and I’ve tried to take them on, one at a time.

For my doctorate thesis I received IRB approval to study high-risk frum women’s understanding of their risk of breast cancer, and the utility of genetic screening.

During my career as an oncology RN and then NP, I’ve helped dozens of frum patients as they transitioned to hospice care, liaising between rabbis, doctors, and broken family members.

And when the measles outbreak hit the Hasidic community, I stepped in to improve understanding of vaccine safety and efficacy.

But then I learned the difference between how providers approach a healthcare crisis, and how a PR firm does.

First up: Agudah

I was added to a WhatsApp group which I was delighted about. Powerful people! We could enact real change!

But, no. It was called the “Kiddush Hashem Media Group” and that’s all it was.

Aside from an MMR vaccine drive (for optics), the group sought to combat the poor PR.

Now, sure. That’s important. Anti-Semitic acts rose during the measles crisis, and we need to combat that. We need to remind the world that anti-vaxxers represent a fraction of the Orthodox world, who DO vaccinate, who DO believe in science, who DO protect each other.

But they engaged in number crunching to make it seem like Rockland County was being picked on, that vaccination numbers are inaccurate, that it was less of a big deal than it was made out to be.

Meanwhile, immunocompromised Chassidish kids had to stay home from school all year,

pediatric practices had to employ airborne precautions, 19 Frum kids were in the ICU, and hospitals across NYC had to try to protect their staff and patients from the most virulent virus on the planet.

But sure, let’s crunch numbers and analyze what vaccination rates TRULY are, because the thousands of measles cases among the frum families don’t tell you enough.

And now we come to COVID vaccination: a few points first -

Approximately 70% of Chassidish people had COVID and have presumed immunity.

This is the given reason for many people not getting vaccinated. It’s an excuse though, because among people who didn’t get COVID only 38% were vaccinated. That’s a LOT of unprotected people.

So, presumed immunity is a good point but it’s FAR from the big picture, which shows that anti-vaccine sentiment has a strong grip on the Chassidic community, and it will not stop at COVID vaccination or presumed immunity, because those are the trees for the forest.

And finally - when I point out discrepancies, vaccine rates, good news but also bad news - the attacks start.

Don’t get me wrong. I cannot explain how little I care about being bullied by PR firms, whether Agudah or OJPAC. If I cared, I’d be quiet right?

But here’s the problem:

The people with any sort of sway or power to influence the masses of ultra-Orthodox Jews, whether by social media, funding, or rabbinical support, choose to instead engage in bullying tactics to improve the optics of the problem.

So what you have are

A: frum providers watching the ramifications of misinformation and rising anti-vaxxism and helpless to do anything because this is a deeper communal problem, and

B. the PR firms who attack the providers who point out the problems and call for change.

So here’s what will happen:

Nothing.

COVID led to an infodemic and childhood vaccinations dropped - and don’t think it won’t lead to increased infectious disease outbreaks in pockets of unvaccinated people.

And when it does happen, our children (and adults) will get sick,

we’ll be in the media again, we’ll cost the city millions or billions of dollars, and will hurt the healthcare industry who needs to deal with the fallout.

And again - nothing will happen!

But here are my recommendations, and feel free to add to these:

1. Frum print media need to be held accountable for accurate coverage (or lack of) health crises. They should not be allowed to spread misinformation or minimize crises

2. Frum social media powerhouses should be

harnessed and must combat misinformation whenever and wherever it’s seen

3. Community members should become ambassadors or champions for science, health, and accurate information.

4. Providers should be taken seriously. We’re on the front lines, we see and hear everything.

If we notice a health problem, take us seriously. Don’t naysay it.

5. Rabbis with sway should speak up, depending on the community and sect.

Rabbis should condemn misinformation. If wigs can get full page ads decrying their danger, so can anti-vaccine movements.

I’ve been accused of worshipping the “idol of public health.”

It’s a worrisome sign of the lack of understanding of what public health is.

We need to work together and stop vilifying efforts to improve healthcare of our community.

But what truly breaks me is seeing the lack of attentiveness and care to the actual HEALTH of our community members, in lieu of the optics.

How low have we fallen 😞