In an Aug. 15 opinion column published in The Dallas Morning News, Dr. Hotez wrote that health freedom, also referred to as medical freedom, “represents a longstanding and pervasive belief system in American life.”
“Its tenets espouse an aversion to government interference in personal or family health choices, often coupled with the counterpromotion of a spectacular or miracle cure,” he wrote.
Currently, health freedom’s central issues are concerned with defying government and business-imposed interventions as they relate to social distancing, mask wearing and vaccinations. While the concept dates back to the nation’s earliest days, Dr. Hotez argues that the anti-science beliefs often purported by supporters of health freedom must be challenged and dismantled.
He suggested the U.S. consider a federal interagency task force to create new programs to tackle anti-science groups and online health misinformation.
“The U.S. was the deadliest location worldwide for the COVID-19 epidemic in 2020, and in 2021, we will hold our breath as the new variant sweeps through the country,” Dr. Hotez wrote. “The high death toll from COVID-19 was exacerbated by a medical freedom ideology linked to political extremism. It is vital to U.S. public health and homeland security that we find ways to defuse anti-science organizations, messaging and health consequences.”
