A group of Philadelphia-based scientists, including vaccine pioneer Stanley A. Plotkin, held a Zoom call to strategize how to respond to potential public health threats during a second Trump administration. The scientists discussed concerns about the potential revocation of vaccine approvals and the spread of misinformation, and determined that a multipronged approach involving public education and advocacy would be necessary.
A Philly-based scientist helped organize a Zoom call with experts around the country to strategize how to respond to misinformation and conspiracies in 2025.
“I am concerned about the health of Americans,” Plotkin said in an interview. “I’ve spent my life trying to prevent disease.” RFK Jr. wasn’t the only potential new appointment on their mind. Two days after the meeting, The New York Times reported that the lawyer who is helping RFK Jr. pick federal health officials petitioned the government in 2022 to revoke its approval of the polio vaccine, andDuring the call, they discussed how the second Trump administration might threaten public health — for instance, if officials decided to no longer offer the polio vaccine — and the most effective types of responses.
The end result, Offit said, is that many Americans now don’t trust scientists and scientific advice. “I think we’re entering an era now where science is losing its place as a source of truth.”
Misinformation Conspiracy Theories Public Health Vaccines Trump Administration
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