Retsef Levi

Yale Prof. Akiko Iwasaki writing in Nature: "Our inability to remain open and engage in rational discussions about controversial subjects may be eroding public trust in science." "I remember a colleague whose daughter developed a life-threatening autoimmune encephalitis after receiving the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. I watched her struggle with obstacles in even asking whether her daughter’s illness might be linked to the vaccine. These questions are not only unwelcome in the field but also could jeopardize one’s career and credibility." "The pressure to stay within the consensus view is at an all-time high, for fear of reputational damage, funding exclusion and lack of career promotion, which is amplified at a massive scale on social media. However, there are broader epistemic consequences to staying within the consensus and suppressing alternative viewpoints, which could undermine trust and progress in science." "scientists are unable to freely inquire about the risk of [post-vaccine syndrome] without being labelled as ‘anti-vaxxers’." "True scientific progress depends on a culture that protects dissent"

For people who still somehow deny that there is an extreme pro-vaccine bias in the scientific literature:

I’ve come across one or two claims on social media suggesting that the April 28 Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) meeting was not fully compliant with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). Because of the seriousness of that allegation, it is important to be clear: these claims are misinformed and not supported by the governing statute or regulations. 🧵