Doctors across the nation are alarmed that skepticism fueled by rising anti-science sentiment and medical mistrust is increasingly reaching beyond vaccines to other proven, routine, preventive care for babies.
A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which analyzed more than 5 million births nationwide, found that refusals of vitamin K shots nearly doubled between 2017 and 2024, from 2.9% to 5.2%. Other research suggests that parents who decline vitamin K shots are much more likely to refuse getting their newborns the hepatitis B vaccine and an eye ointment to prevent potentially blinding infections. Rates for that vaccination at birth dropped in recent years, and doctors confirm that more parents are refusing the eye medication.
“I do think these families care deeply about their infants,” said Dr. Kelly Wade, a Philadelphia neonatologist. “But I hear from families that it’s hard to make decisions right now because they’re hearing conflicting information.”
So… these people aren’t even listening to their doctors? I get being confused as a laymen when reading a bunch of articles online when half of everything is AI now, but your actual doctor? Isn’t that what they’re there for?
TLDR: poor education, poor medical industry/insurance system, poor economy, propaganda/misinformation, everyone has a mental limit; and unfortunately many Americans can’t differentiate between anything they’re having pushed at them/taking in.
Most of the U.S. population can’t afford regular medical care. For some who can, interactions with doctors can at times feel almost hostile (rushed through 15 minutes of a doctor hastily reading from a computer screen, visibly upset if you ask any questions, spoken to like a child), generally physically limited, and an additional financial consideration (new births reporting bills for ‘$1,000+’ for an anesthesiologist literally only leaning into the room the day after birth to ask “feeling alright?” and then leaving.
So, even outside of “anti-science” and/or “anti-vaccine” perspectives, hospitals and doctors are viewed to have a profit seeking motive, and patient interactions can sometimes be incredibly rude (see huge understaffing; partly for that profit seeking from most hospitals; and then just general ‘being an asshole’; because working in medical care doesn’t preclude someone from just being overall inconsiderate and cruel).
Therefore, some may only barely be able to afford being at the hospital for any reason, were possibly treated ‘less than kindly’ by hospital staff somewhere at least once, already have a generally poor U.S. education, living in near squalor like conditions, and are being bombarded from multiple avenues with misinformation regarding almost every aspect of reality. Then, they’re still needing to justify; to themselves and significant portions of their own society; why they deserve food, shelter, housing and any other thing at all because of some idea pushed at everyone that you’re inherently worthless and only those who “prove themselves ‘enough’” are justifying in getting or having… anything.
People are animals, they’ll shutdown and perpetuate into basic survival when overwhelmed enough. A significant amount of the U.S. population sees medical care as a luxury and a nearly illicit money hungry one at that. I fucking hate justifying this type of behavior, but it’s a reality for the growth of many perspectives here. They are cattle and they’ve internally shutdown or don’t have the time, physical resources, or education to differentiate between anything they’re having pushed at them/taking in; and (idk what generalized quantity to use here; most, some? because god damn it feels like most) it’s quite possibly rare for any random U.S. Citizen to read… at all, not even getting to the point of ‘articles online’.
So, generally, no, people in the U.S. may not treat the statements of a doctor with high regard. I try to be empathetic… but it can be really difficult when they can be such fucking assholes.
Great points, and as a citizen of the US, I often forget that many don’t have access to the healthcare me and my peers do, nor is everyone lucky to have the amazing doctors I’ve had. I too have been feeling very scared and often sad; I try to stay logical and seek positive solutions I can apply, BUT IT IS HARD. The general feeling of malaise has thickened the air. I also have more knowledge in some scientific fields than the average person, and logic has always been my comfort and bedrock, so seeking doctors’ advice gives me solace. Focusing on local communities can cause one to forget how a larger population can be affected or how they may respond.
Seems to me that since our “dear leader” is unapologetically trashy, it gives the general population permission to forgo respect or civility. It’s frustrating and can make those of us who try to maintain decorum feel like we are going insane.