In 2019, Dr. Zubin Damania (ZDoggMD) recorded a video titled Lethal Samoan Measles Outbreak, What Can We Be taught? In it, he rightfully criticized anti-vaxxers for triggering this outbreak. He mentioned:
The tragedy of measles deaths in Samoa is a stark warning: NEVER take heed to the anti-vaxx cult after they say this “pure” illness is innocent.
Nonetheless, with SARS-CoV-2 Dr. Damania repeatedly inspired a informal indifference concerning deceased kids. He additional instructed his viewers to disregard pediatricians and as an alternative to imagine docs comparable to Marty Makary, Vinay Prasad, and Jay Bhattacharya. Dr. Damania was very profitable in getting his viewers to belief these anti-vaccine, misinformation docs, and so right here we’re.
Dr. Damania just lately recorded a podcast titled The Reality About RFK Jr. (And Dr. Oz!) w/Dr. Paul Offit, by which they lamented the rise of RFK Jr. Dr. Damania accurately mentioned:
I’m clutching my pearls about RFK. As a result of he’s he’s only a completely different stage of denialist and and and harmful, actually, as a result of it would erode the general public’s belief and religion within the precise means of science.
He’s completely proper. Nonetheless, Dr. Damania additionally mentioned the next:
There’s a militantism proper on within the science neighborhood typically about don’t, don’t brook any dissent. And, and I’m speaking about like these Science Primarily based Medication guys and these guys. So that they had been on the time criticizing me for even speaking to somebody like a Vinay Prasad or somebody as a result of they, they, it wasn’t an absolutist kind of stance, proper? And now they’re speaking about like sane washing RFK, which I believe is like not not a great factor, proper?
However the thought then that that we will’t be clear in that method, that now we have to talk in a sure method with a purpose to ensure that folks go together with it. I, I simply don’t know that I believe individuals are smarter than that if given the chance.
Dr. Damania was proper about one factor, sanewashing RFK Jr. was positively not a “good factor”. Nonetheless, lots of Dr. Damania’s most honored company did precisely that. These docs instructed the world that RFK Jr. was dependable and reliable and Dr. Damania instructed the world that these RFK Jr.-loving docs had been dependable and reliable. The various anti-vaccine feedback on Dr. Damania’s latest video present that his listeners absorbed their pro-RFK Jr. message.
That is what he achieved the previous 4.5 years, and because of this we’ve criticized him. Nobody faulted Dr. Damania for “speaking to somebody like a Vinay Prasad.” I’d be completely happy to speak to Dr. Prasad about his pandemic pronouncements. As an alternative we faulted Dr. Damania for praising, legitimizing, and amplifying somebody like a Vinay Prasad. In distinction, we at SBM precisely knowledgeable our readers that Dr. Prasad unfold copious misinformation and repeatedly gushed over RFK Jr. Dr. Damania dunked on us for that cause. We aren’t “clear” in some mysterious method.
Dr. Damania did this. We at SBM did the other.
I believe I can converse for everybody at SBM once I say, we imagine that docs ought to talk correct and full data to their viewers. That’s being clear, and I beforehand inspired Dr. Damania to this. He declined. We additionally imagine that docs who praised RFK Jr. unfold harmful disinformation and have accountability for bringing us to this harmful second. We additional imagine it was inappropriate for docs to revenue from their RFK Jr. boosterism.
Dr. Damania disagrees with us about all this, and he’s free to name us “absolutist” and “militant” for that cause. He can say we “don’t brook any dissent” and different content-free insults. Nonetheless, he can’t level out an occasion we’ve been flawed about something, nor can he escape his function in paving the best way for anti-vaxxers to realize energy. He selected to glorify pro-RFK Jr. docs, and he owns the outcomes.
If Dr. Damania feels I’m flawed about this or anything, I’d be completely happy to be on his podcast. Opposite to his dishonest depictions, I’m completely keen to listen to good-faith criticism. Dr. Damania can lay into me and let everybody know precisely the place he thinks I’ve erred. He can grill my on my writing. I’m completely ready to defend it or admit error if I bought one thing flawed.
I’m additionally completely ready to calmly and polity remind Dr. Damania of many issues he mentioned about COVID. I’ll ask him why he glorifies docs who legitimize RFK Jr., whereas bashing docs who warn about him. I’ll carry up the factors I made in my article Any Physician Who Enabled RFK Jr. In Any Means Is Anti-Vaccine No Matter How They Describe Themselves.
One thing tells me that whereas pro-RFK Jr. docs will all the time be welcome on Dr. Damania’s podcast, I can’t obtain an invite.
It’s virtually as if being unable brook dissent isn’t my drawback.