Infectious Disease Doctor Details Tenseโค Airplane Encounter with Vaccine Skeptic
NEW YORK – A Yale School of Medicine physician specializing in infectious diseases recounted aโข recent, unsettling experience on a flight, detailing a conversation with a โpassengerโข openly skeptical of vaccines. Dr. Morgan Goheen, M.D., โPh.D., shared the encounter as a cautionary tale โhighlighting the ongoing challenges โpublicโฃ health officials face in combating misinformation and fosteringโ trust in science.
The incident, which occurredโข on a flight in October 2023, underscores a growing societal divide fueled by vaccine hesitancy, a trend that threatens to undermine progress against preventable diseases. While vaccine confidence has fluctuated, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, the persistence of misinformation continues to pose a significant โขriskโ to individual and community health. Goheen’sโข account offersโฃ a personal glimpse into the complexities of bridging this gapโ and the emotional toll it canโ take on healthcare professionals.
During the flight, Goheen found herself seated next โto a โpassenger who, after learning of her profession, promptlyโ launched into a discussionโค questioning the safety and efficacy of vaccines. The โฃpassenger expressed โconcerns about potential side effects and sharedโ unsubstantiated claims circulating online.
“It wasn’t anโค aggressiveโ confrontation, but a persistent stream of โคdoubts and anxieties,” Goheen explained. “It wasโ exhausting to โtry and address each claim with evidence-based information, knowing that deeply held beliefs are rarelyโ changedโค by a single conversation.”
Goheen attempted to calmlyโข address the passenger’s concerns, explaining โคthe rigorous testing and monitoring processes vaccines undergo, and emphasizing the overwhelming scientific consensus โฃsupporting theirโ safety and effectiveness. She highlighted the devastating consequences of vaccine-preventable diseases, both historically and in โขcontemporary outbreaks.
Despite herโข efforts,Goheen noted the โขpassenger โremainedโข largely unconvinced,clinging to information sourced from unreliable online platforms. The encounter left herโ feeling frustrated and disheartened, but also reinforced her commitment to continuing the fight against misinformation.
“I am not your enemy.Neither is science,” Goheen stated, reflecting on the experience. “My goal, and theโ goal of the medical โคcommunity, is to protect people’s health, and vaccines are โone of the โmost powerful tools we have to do that.”
Goheen,โ a research scientist and board-certified infectious diseases physician, โis also a Public voices โFellow of The โoped Project in Partnership with Yale University. Her experience serves as a reminder of the critical need for open โขdialog, media literacy, and a renewed commitment to โขevidence-based decision-making in the face of persistent health misinformation.
