VAX FACTS: THE TRUTH ABOUT VACCINES ^TM

TAKING ON THE WORLD’S BIGGEST PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGE 

 

A national and global health emergency has been created by well-financed, sophisticated attacks on Science which have severely undermined people’s confidence in medical experts, health officials, and government leaders. 

 

Using pseudo-science, propagating extraordinarily well-produced videos, deploying participants with seemingly impressive credentials, leveraging distrust in Government, exploiting serious mistakes made by health professionals, and adroitly utilizing Social Media and other communication channels to effectively reach millions of people, purveyors of mistruths have succeeded in convincing hundreds of millions of people that they not only should skip COVID vaccines but should avoid all vaccines. 

 

The result, particularly in the significant gullible elements United States, has been a low vaccination rate not only for COVID-19 and its variants but also for the Flu — resulting in a triple disaster caused by the confluence of COVID-19, Influenza, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).   

 

Even more distressing is the impact on many traditional childhood vaccinations which have been traditional for the better part of a century.  The result is the increasing vulnerability of the U.S. population to a wide range of diseases with health, medical, financial, and economic impacts which will be felt for decades to come. 

 

The reality is the efforts to convince citizens that vaccines are dangerous are based on multiple motivations.  Foreign actors seeking to harm certain populations (e.g., Americans) have propagated false information with the intent to do harm.  The 9/11 attacks caused 2,996 deaths.  COVID-19 already has killed over one million Americans.  It continues to kill more people every two weeks than died on 9/11. 

 

Other actors sincerely believe the material they are distributing is accurate and that they are performing a valuable public service which actually will save people’s lives.  They passionately believe the misinformation they are spreading and see themselves as forces against a Government and system that is dishonest.  They not only distrust the Government (especially at the Federal level) but are equally suspicious of pharmaceutical companies who they see as “in bed” with the Government with both sets of entities having no actual concern for the average citizen. 

 

This distrust often is attributed to those on the Right but it is equally relevant to many Americans on the Left.  Citizens in this demographic cohort see “Big Pharma” as focused solely on revenue and profits which have resulted in a number of collaborations with Government agencies to allow the companies to produce, market, and sell drugs which either often have nominal benefits or which crowd out far less expensive solutions (i.e., solutions to medical and health challenges not owned or controlled by Big Pharma). 

 

A third group in the anti-vaccine camp is focused on generating revenue from their posts and related activity.  They exploit the Social Media system by seeking to maximize “clicks” and, therefore, generate revenue for themselves.  They know that the more outlandish their claims are, the more likely their posts will attract attention and be shared by even more people.  They understand how the algorithms of various platforms (e.g., Google, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, et cetera) work and design posts to exploit the vulnerabilities of these systems.   

 

These perpetrators often are not malevolent in the sense they aren’t actively trying to harm people; rather, they just want to take advantage of others so as to make money off of the viewing of pages to the greatest extent possible.  They certainly are sociopathic or even psychopathic in the sense that what they are doing has resulted and continues to the result in the deaths of hundreds, thousands or even millions of people. 

 

In some cases, the perpetrators may be a combination of these three categories, whether intentionally malicious or not.  Regardless, the response to these actors has been tragically inadequate.  Both the Private and Public Sector have failed to take these actors seriously with the Federal Government’s planning and response to these terrible phenomena so lacking that it was and continues to be grossly negligent. 

 

This has been due, in part, to the focus of both Private and Public Sector organizations on finding medical and related solutions to the overwhelming health and safety issues confronting the general population. 

 

In addition, many of the organizations involved — and especially the scientists and others focused on finding solutions — do not have any expertise or even much experience fighting a sophisticated misinformation and multi-front Public Relations battle. 

 

In many cases, it doesn’t even occur to scientists, researchers, and medical experts with great integrity that anyone would question their motives or actually think they would intentionally seek to develop or promote products that failed to work or which actually would knowingly kill people.   

 

Nevertheless, these are the arguments that have been made and are being made by anti-vaccine proponents in highly successful efforts to convince citizens to avoid getting vaccinated. 

 

As a result, millions of Americans and billions of citizens around the world still are searching for an unbiased, nonpartisan resource (1) which addresses their concerns and can intelligibly answer their questions about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccines in general, and (2) which directly and convincingly respond to the misinformation being fed to them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.   

 

With the need to have a substantial percentage of its population vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to resume normalcy (estimated to be as high as 90%, thanks to the ongoing emergence of variants, with even more highly transmissible and deadlier successor variants occurring on a continual basis), the U.S. faces an extraordinary challenge due to fact more than one out of every five Americans have not been vaccinated at all against COVID and even more are highly resistant to getting further vaccinated. 

 

In fact, only 68% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated and only one-third of the population (33%) has been boosted.  Most shocking is that 6 out of 7 people qualified for the most recent COVID booster shot available have declined the opportunity — despite the fact it is readily available to all of them at no cost. 

 

The decline in both confidence and participation demonstrates the effectiveness of the anti-vaccine propagandists as well as a serious decline in the nation’s trust in Government, Scientists, and Pharmaceutical companies.   

 

Originally, another factor in low vaccination rates was racial bias in medical fields both historically and today as well as the politicization of COVID-19 vaccines. While the former still exists but has been in decline, the latter has grown in both reach and intensity.  The identical challenges now span the globe. 

 

All of this has been exacerbated by the emergence of variants and, eventually, new strains which require those who were vaccinated early in the process to be vaccinated yet again with modified or new vaccines.  These possibilities have the potential to greatly increase Vaccine Hesitancy despite the entry, by the U.S. into a period where vaccine supply greatly exceeds demands and with COVID vaccines being readily available to anyone who wants one. 

 

To engage with others successfully, it now is of paramount importance (1) to be knowledgeable and well-informed about the different perspectives people have, (2) to listen carefully to and engage respectfully with those who are suspicious regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID vaccines, and (3) to actually use humor and self-deprecation to keep the dialogue ongoing and centered.    

 

This approach is particularly targeted for those who have serious questions and concerns about vaccines.  This demographic should be the initial target of any educational and persuasion campaign (i.e., starting with those most likely to be positively influenced by credible, accurate information).  By targeting this group first, data can be gathered and analyzed to more effectively take on more challenging cohorts. 

 

 By providing objective and unbiased information to the general population while simultaneously directly but very respectfully addressing those with “Vaccine Hesitancy,” this broadcast television series can play a significant role “moving the needle” to restore the country’s physical, emotional, and economic health.  The programs also will be made available worldwide to maximize their beneficial impact. 

 

Although the initial focus is on those who are COVID vaccine hesitant, the mission includes taking on the very effective anti-vaccination movement, which contributes to a significant degree to overall vaccine hesitancy.   

 

Compounding the problem is the reality that minority communities continue to remain less enthusiastic about vaccinations due to the combination of misinformation bombarding them when added to the aforementioned historically-based justifications for being suspicious of government-led medical efforts. 

 

With an extra sensitivity towards making information intelligible, digestible, and acceptable to the vast majority of the nation’s populace, “Vax Facts: The Truth About Vaccines ™” is a fact-based program serving as a foundational, nonpartisan source of much-needed information for the American public and beyond.   

 

While the television programs also will include analyses of what reasonable societal obligations are when it comes to individuals protecting others in their families, workplaces, et cetera, the primary appeal will be based on the more self-centered benefits a person receives by being vaccinated. 

 

A distinction which differentiates this initiative from other endeavors is that the series will include doing public forums in communities across the country plagued by Vaccine Hesitancy.   

 

By deploying neighborhood events with local medical and health experts respected by the neighborhoods involved, the forums will include ample opportunity for Q & A sessions so people can have their questions answered directly by people they trust.  These sessions will be recorded with the footage used to create programs for broad, free distribution. 

 

In addition, the series will produce a number of 15 to 30-second spots to be featured on a wide, cross-platform basis — from Social Media platforms (e.g., TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, et cetera) to streaming services to cable, satellite, and over-the-air channels and networks.  These spots will feature medical and science experts alternated with celebrities of interest to the target demographics. 

 

An overriding imperative related to all of these challenges is the importance of addressing the lack of confidence in and knowledge of Science many Americans now have.   

 

Because so many citizens are ignorant about how Science works, their vulnerability has made them prime targets for those propagating misinformation.  This adds yet another dimension to the challenges confronting public health officials — i.e., educating Americans about Science. 

 

“Vax Facts” addresses these multiple challenges head-on by featuring the world’s most prominent medical and scientific experts while proactively including guests who are concerned, hesitant and, in some cases, even opposed to vaccinations.   

 

Additionally, various celebrities will be included to help encourage people to get more information and get vaccinated so they can resume more normal lives (i.e., again focusing appeals on the benefits to the individual rather than to others). There will be a special emphasis on ensuring people of color and others of different socioeconomic strata are significant participants in the conversation to make certain their concerns are fully addressed. 

 

So, rather than ignore those opposed to vaccinations (including their leadership) or those who simply are hesitant to accept vaccination science, a key feature of the program will be to discuss and debate specific objections to and concerns about vaccinations with highlighted fact-checking features.   

 

In addition, viewer and listener participation will be a major part of the program with questions submitted via email, text, and Social Media.  These will be answered on-the-air to make certain all concerns are addressed.   

 

And where mistakes were made, the program will address those issues and will not make any pretense that everything done to counter COVID always was the best for the country.  This level of honesty and candor will help open the door for those who are Vaccine Hesitant to incorporate more accurate information into their decision-making processes for themselves, their families, their friends, their colleagues, and their associates. 

 

A Website will accompany the show to create a “One Stop Shopping” experience for listeners. It will feature links to all the television programs plus a Q&A section as well as charts, tables and graphs with easy-to-understand explanations.  Links to peer-reviewed research studies also will be provided with intelligible descriptions for lay people.   

 

The Website also will serve as a fact-checking site for each show (whether a video program or a podcast).  When available, USA Talk Network will deploy its unique “Definitive Programming” fact-checking concept for the programs.  This actually involves interrupting a program to highlight the findings of fact-checking a statement made by a guest or the host. 

 

Aaron Harber, host of “The Aaron Harber Show ™” (HarberTV.com/Info) is the ideal moderator of the program.  Aaron’s expertise in successfully communicating complex issues in medical and scientific fields has been demonstrated over the years during his extensive radio and television broadcast career.  And his connections to and personal relationships with diverse groups and their leadership gives the program immediate access to its target demographics.   

 

Aaron’s recognized skill at interacting with listeners and viewers (perfected during his “live” Talk Radio career and Public Broadcasting “live” call-in television programs) will attract an audience whose members will include the key demographic targets to which the program aspires.   

 

He is making his time as the host and moderator of the series a top priority for this special series and is committed to the travel demands requisite to make this initiative successful. 

 

Having grown up in a “Science” household (his Father was a Chemistry Professor), Aaron has been steeped in Science his entire life and has been critical of how the American education system has failed to prioritize it. 

 

For many years, Aaron has been focused on the urgent need for Americans to have a better understanding of Science.  This will be one of the topical dimensions of the program and the wide variety of guests who will be on the show.  The fact Aaron is highly respected by those on both the Right and the Left make him uniquely positioned to ensure the endeavor is a major success.

A sample of some of Aaron’s previous guests from medical and other scientific fields who already have been with him personally in studio or on location on “The Aaron Harber Show” include the following (titles also may include other positions held by a guest before or after their show appearances with Aaron). 

 

• Regina Benjamin, U.S. Surgeon General  
• Seth Berkley, CEO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance  
• Kim Bimestefer, President, Cigna Mountain States (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) 
• Josh Brody, Director, Lymphoma Immunotherapy Program, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine 
• Ken Davis, President & CEO, Mt. Sinai Medical Center 
• Lisa Davis, V.P., Health Affairs, MedIummune (now V.P., Communications, Northrop Grumman) 
• Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer, TIME “Hero of the Planet” 
• Ezekiel Emanuel, Founding Chair, National Institutes of Health, Department of Bioethics   
• Anthony Fauci, Director, NIH Institute of Allergy & Infectious Diseases  
• Bill Frist, Professor of Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; Clinical Professor of  
  
  Surgery, Meharry Medical College; former U.S. Senate Majority Leader 
• Sam Gandy, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine Professor of Alzheimer’s Disease Research,  
  
  and Director, National Football League Neurological Care Center 
• Bruce Gellin, President of Global Immunization, Sabin Vaccine Institute 
• Julie Gerberding, Executive Vice President, Strategic Communications, Global Public Policy and 
  
  Population Health and Chief Patient Officer (first woman to be the Director of the CDC) 
• Garth Graham, President, AETNA Foundation; V.P., Community Health and Impact, CVS Health 
• Darrell Kirch, President, Association of American Medical Colleges 
• Dick Krugman, Dean, University of Colorado School of Medicine 
• Eric Lander, Founding Director of the Harvard-MIT Broad Institute (currently the Presidential Science Adviser and Biden Cabinet member as the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy)  
• Donna Lynne, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Columbia University Irving Medical  
  
  Center; CEO, Columbia Doctors (former Group President, Kaiser Permanente [Colorado,  
  
  Hawaii, Oregon, Washington]; former Executive Vice President, Kaiser Foundation Hospitals  
  
  & Health Plan) 
• Alonzo Plough, Vice President, Research-Evaluation-Learning and Chief Science Officer,  
  
  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 
• Uwe Reinhardt, James Madison Professor of Political Economy & Professor of Economics & Public 
  
  Affairs, Princeton University 
• Eugenie Scott, Executive Director, National Center for Science Education 
• Andy Slavitt, Acting Administrator, National Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 
  
  (currently the Biden White House Senior Advisor on the COVID-19 response) 
• Gary Small, Director, UCLA Longevity Center, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior 
• Mike Taylor, FDA Deputy Commissioner, Foods & Veterinary Medicine 
• Shirley Tilghman, Founding Director, Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, President,  
  
  American Society for Cell Biology, President, Princeton University 
• Eric Topol, Founder and Director, Scripps Research Translational Institute 
• Nora Volkow, Director, National Institutes of Health, Institute on Drug Abuse