Thread by @PeterHotez

1/n Many thanks ⁦@mehdirhasan⁩ ⁦@MehdiHasanShow⁩ for hosting me this evening I explained the problems of “debating” science on Joe Rogan with RFK Jr and there are several.

2/n first science is not something that is typically debated like say 18th enlightenment philosophy or political issues. That’s not typically what we do

3/n I said maybe there are exceptions but generally science is conducted through peer-review and manuscript submissions or presentations at scientific conferences and meetings in front of colleagues for suggestions or in some cases concerns.

4/n I’m not even certain I know how to “debate” in this case. And then there is the particular problem of debating RFK Jr on this. I have spoken to him over the years and I’m willing to speak to him again, but it’s not easy…

5/n he tends to move the goalposts on his specific concerns about vaccines. For instance even in the autism space it was MMR, then thimerosal, then spacing vaccines, then alum, then something called “chronic illness” and now the stakes are higher..

6/n because 40,000 Texans needlessly perished during our delta BA.1 waves in 2021 and 2022 because they became victims to coordinated antivaccine disinformation. On a national scale I put that number around 200,000 with similar estimates from @charles_gaba @KFF others.

7/n so antivaccine activism is now a lethal societal force. I would be willing to come on Joe Rogan and speak to him to solve problems as I’ve done X2 before, or do something with Elon on Twitter. Possibly that might be useful

Here’s part of the clip

https://twitter.com/mehdihasanshow/status/1670598375937302529