COLUMN: The house of science welcomes all | Pius Kamau

We must live in harmony as a society. This includes anti-vaxxer-political skeptics, who while rejecting COVID vaccines, die needlessly. Anti-vaxxers believe vaccines are deleterious to health, or are ineffective against infections. Also “freedom” loving folks don’t vaccinate.

My life’s work involves alleviating pain and saving lives. Seeing a large swath of the population risk life and limb for what I consider base misapprehension is absurd. To me, scientific proof of different therapies leaves no room for doubt, in this and other matters of diagnosis and therapy. Yet, a cottage industry has arisen to embrace anti-vaxxers and many others who come bearing anti-government ideas. In fact, a Kennedy is running for the presidency on the anti-vax platform. Anti-vaxxers die, their political freedoms intact, leaving behind suffering families and communities.

A quandary that often rears its head when nonscientists question scientific facts is, what do scientific conclusions have to do with anyone’s politics? In fact great harm can result from prideful ignorance.

Thabo Mbeki, president of South Africa from 1999 to 2008 without facts doubted that HIV caused AIDS in South Africa, as concurrently, other nations’ leaders acknowledged and combated HIV infections.

Uganda lowered its HIV infection rates by 10% between 1990 and 2001 by using ABC behaviors: Abstinence, Being loyal and Condom use. President George Bush introduced the PEPFAR program in 2003 that provided lifesaving retroviral therapies to many. In the meantime, as Mbeki waged his war against science, more than 2.6 million South Africans died, and South African scientists condemned Mbeki’s costly ignorance.

But what is it that makes so many of us fall into these traps of nonbelief? My Kikuyu tribespeople, suspicious of white man’s medical therapies, preferred traditional witch doctors or curandero in the Mayan tradition. Sadly, no amount of song, dance or chicken or goat blood sacrifice could heal a ruptured appendix or cases of tuberculosis. I however absolve them their ignorance; their lack of scientific knowledge. I tend to tread lightly when it comes to Afghan, Pakistani and Nigerian Muslims who forbid polio vaccination for their children. I forgive them for they know not what they do.

I cannot however forgive Americans who should know better when they reject their children’s MMR vaccinations. Indeed, groups of parents present myriad reasons for not vaccinating their children, which has resulted in increasing numbers of cases of measles in America.

When we live with others, our individual choices should consider the common good.

Because of Mbeki’s decisions, millions died needlessly. History will remember him not as a statesman, but as an illogical, unreasonable ruler. Had he been a private citizen, living an ordinary life, his opinions would have mattered little. Like many others who rejected condom use or antiretrovirals, he would have died an ordinary death.

We live with neighbors who choose not to believe in many science-based issues, from viral pandemics, to human-caused climate change — Maui and Louisiana fires; warming, rising ocean levels. We must find ways to survive; I believe that many of these people, in their heart of hearts, know they are wrong and will in time see the light of truth.

It’s also worth remembering that there’s little individuals can do to change the climate change conundrum. National environmental problems are best solved through international actions, and through the governments we elect.

I began this piece to ask who’s to blame for what ails us? “The fault dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings,” the poet answered me. It’s we, who are swept up by loud voices, who demonize science and vaccines, equating non vaccination to freedom; we, who, voices pull into tribes of unreason. Although the science is rock solid, the evidence so clear even drowning polar bears can see it, we deny man’s role in climate change.

Whatever we say, reason and truth in science can never be corrupted or drowned. The periodic table of elements, the speed of light, viral mutations are scientific facts, best acknowledged, learned and paid heed to.

My point is that it is just and rational to patiently listen to reason and where we are unsure, seek knowledge. We live in a world where we can access truthful information. The way of the scientific warrior, the gate to the warrior’s house always open. The beauty and wonder of science is, anyone can slake their thirst for knowledge at science’s fountain.

Pius Kamau, M.D., a retired general surgeon, is president of the Aurora-based Africa America Higher Education Partnerships; co-founder of the Africa Enterprise Group and an activist for minority students’ STEM education. He is a National Public Radio commentator, Huffington Post blogger, and past columnist for Denver dailies