The Ugly Face of Hatred with Dr. Josh Guetzkow (Part II)

This article is a continuation of The Ugly Face of Hatred with Dr. Josh Guetzkow Part I.

Sociologist and criminal justice expert Dr. Josh Guetzkow says that hatred for the unvaccinated isn’t new – it's been happening before COVID-19. 

“There's a concept in sociology and criminology called a moral panic,” he explains. “And in the context of a moral panic, there's always what they call a ‘folk devil’. There's always some group in society that is kind of picked out as being the cause of all of these problems.

“An example of folk devils would be Catholic immigrants who came to the US after World War One. Prohibition was the result of a moral panic against them and the problems they allegedly caused, fueled by alcohol.”

“But what's kind of insidious about the anti-vax trope is the way in which it's being used to shut down open scientific debate,” said Dr. Guetzkow. 

The folk devil of the COVID-19 era is the “anti-vaxxer”, a term which used to disparage not just those who are against vaccinations, but even well-established scientists and reputable doctors who raise legitimate concerns about vaccines. 

“What I think separates this from many previous historical examples is the way that it's been used to control the scientific discussion and create this kind of false sense of consensus. The consensus is manufactured because as soon as you speak out, you know you're going to be slammed, so people just keep their mouths shut.” 

But even with the repression of scientists, some still manage to speak out and question the safety of the vaccine, leaving the medical establishment without a consensus. 

Dr. Guetzkow has co-authored a study on the repression of scientists who express vaccine dissent. 

As reported by Frontline News, the study notes that while many assume vaccine dissenters to be “mostly hysterical parents or members of anti-vaccination groups” who spread “fake news”, there are researchers and healthcare professionals “who raise scientifically grounded concerns and criticisms about certain vaccines.”   

“In response they experience exclusion, are misquoted, denounced as ‘anti-vaxxers’, and are even threatened with job dismissal and/or revocation of their medical license,” the authors wrote.  

The researchers studied 26 of these vaccine-questioning health professionals, including doctors, nurses and researchers who reported various methods of censorship and suppression of opposing scientific views. These included defamation, online censorship, paper retraction, denial of research grants, calls for dismissal, hearings, self-censorship and vaccine monitoring and rewards.