The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Episode: The Politics Behind the Anti-Vaccine Movement
Date: August 29, 2019
Host: Dorothy Wickenden
Guest: Nick Paumgarten (Staff Writer, The New Yorker)

Episode Overview

This episode explores the resurgence of measles in the United States, focusing on the roots and spread of the anti-vaccine movement, its religious and political underpinnings, and the challenges faced by public health officials. Dorothy Wickenden interviews Nick Paumgarten, who recently covered the New York measles outbreak, to unravel how mistrust in vaccines has gained momentum and which strategies might counteract the trend.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Comeback of Measles and Rising Anti-Vaccine Sentiment

• Dorothy Wickenden opens by highlighting the troubling rise in measles cases in 2019—the most since 2006. Public health officials blame "anti-vaccination sentiment," leading to outbreaks in places like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and New York’s Orthodox Jewish communities.
  • [01:16] B: “The number of measles cases around the world...is rising again. In the first six months of 2019, there were more outbreaks than any other year since 2006..."

The Science and Mechanics of Herd Immunity

• Nick Paumgarten explains how herd immunity protects communities, but is weakened when anti-vaccine beliefs take hold in population pockets.
  • [03:21] D: “The anti vaccination movement has made enough inroads...to erode in certain communities...what we call herd immunity...”

Origins of the Anti-Vaccine Narrative

• Dorothy and Nick discuss Andrew Wakefield’s now-retracted 1998 study, which falsely linked MMR vaccines to autism, sparking a movement that persists despite being debunked.
  • [04:19] D: “The study...published in the Lancet, was later pulled in 1998...But he made the connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. And that study...is sort of ground zero for a lot of anti vaxx arguments.”

Spread and Amplification of Misinformation

• Wakefield continues to fuel the debate with films like “Vaxxed,” stoking conspiracy theories around vaccine cover-ups. The Internet and social media have accelerated the spread of such ideas.
  • [05:08] D: “It’s a film that advances the idea that there’s a conspiracy to cover up the connection, a conspiracy by...the government, CDC...”
  • [11:20] D: "There has been sort of a movement of, you can't tell me what to do in this country...the Internet and social media has amplified what would otherwise be fringe information..."

Detective Work: Tracing the Rockland County Outbreak

• Paumgarten describes epidemiological work in Rockland County, tracing outbreaks to international travel and large gatherings in local synagogues.
  • [05:39] D: “It’s real forensics. There are these public health officials, they’re epidemiologists whose job it is basically to track each case...”
  • [07:00] D: “Patient zero was an Israeli boy who...caught it from someone who had gone to the Ukraine for...Hasidic burning man..."

Religious and Political Exemptions

• Religious exemptions, used both within and outside religious communities, have enabled the spread by letting children avoid vaccination.
  • [07:40] D: “Religious exemptions have been very significant. It’s been used as a lever by all kinds of communities, not always religious communities...”

The Universality of Vaccine Hesitancy

• The anti-vax phenomenon is not limited to any demographic: affluent “yoga moms,” certain Christian groups, and secular communities are all susceptible.
  • [09:28] B: “We’re not just talking about ultra orthodox Jews here...we’re talking about affluent yoga moms in Beverly Hills...”
  • [09:55] D: “Everybody wants what’s best for their children...people...find information on the Internet and there’s a lot out there...It’s not just an opting out, it’s also an opting in. It’s a way of declaring yourself a member of a social group...suspicious of Big Pharma...”

Conspiratorial Thinking & Historical Medical Mistrust

• Growing distrust of authority, amplified by social media, finds fertile ground in past abuses (Tuskegee, Henrietta Lacks), feeding skepticism about vaccines.
  • [11:50] B: “This country...has a checkered history of medical experimentation...Tuskegee, Henrietta Lacks...”
  • [11:59] D: “Right. It’s not crazy to be skeptical. It’s sensible to be skeptical.”

Public Health Communication Strategies

• The main challenge is persuading the “vaccine hesitant”—those who are unsure, not deeply entrenched deniers.
  • [14:10] D: “It’s really the vaccine hesitant. It’s those who are not sure...Those are the people that need to be persuaded.”
• Dr. Howard Zucker and officials emphasize respectful, community-level dialogue, avoiding condescension, to rebuild trust and restore herd immunity.
  • [14:43] D: “Condescension doesn’t work. Persuasion works. And it helps if everybody in the chain...is in support of the idea of vaccination for the greater good of all.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On herd immunity:
  • [03:21] D (Nick Paumgarten): “If you have 95% of a population vaccinating, then those 5% that aren’t vaccinating are protected by the majority.”
• On the origins of anti-vax myth:
  • [04:19] D (Nick Paumgarten): “That study...is sort of ground zero for a lot of anti vaxx arguments.”
• On vaccine hesitancy and group identity:
  • [09:55] D (Nick Paumgarten): “Being anti vaxx or saying no to vaccinations, it’s not just an opting out, it’s also an opting in...A group of people that are suspicious of Big Pharma.”
• On skepticism:
  • [11:59] D (Nick Paumgarten): “It’s not crazy to be skeptical. It’s sensible to be skeptical.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:16] – Introduction and measles outbreak statistics
• [03:21] – Explanation of herd immunity; breakdown in communities
• [04:19] – Roots of vaccine skepticism, Andrew Wakefield’s influence
• [05:39] – Epidemiological work tracing the outbreak
• [07:00] – International travel & specific case origins
• [07:40] – Religious and political exemptions exploited
• [09:28] – Spread across diverse communities; affluent anti-vaxxers
• [11:20] – Role of social media and conspiracy thinking
• [11:50] – History of medical mistrust and skepticism
• [14:10] – Focus on persuading the “vaccine hesitant,” not just fringe deniers
• [14:43] – Importance of respectful communication by health officials

Conclusion

The episode frames the anti-vaccine movement as both a public health crisis and a cultural phenomenon, exposing the fears, conspiracies, and identity politics fueling it. The real battleground, according to Nick Paumgarten and public health experts, is not with the most entrenched deniers but with the uncertain—and winning them over requires empathy, listening, and community engagement.

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