A post by an interest group presenting a persuasive news interview with a doctor
This post contains a video clip from a local morning news show interview with a medical doctor. The doctor, presented as an "emergency medicine and disaster specialist", relays news of a recent "whistleblower" data dump insinuating that 1) there has been an astronomical rise in all-cause mortality over the past few years, and 2) it's very possible that this rise could be due to COVID-19 vaccinations. The posting account is a non-profit organization that "opposes laws and regulations that force individuals to submit to the administration of medical products, procedures, and devices against their will." It is behind a recent lawsuit win that resulted in the overturning of the CDC's mask mandate. The group's founder and president has a long history of affiliations with other natural health organizations.
What works well here?
That it is based on a news clip and contains an interview with a medical doctor lends credibility to the post and posting account. The text comments highlight the important data from the news clip, in case a viewer doesn't have time to watch it. The video itself establishes an alarming problem, again, given the appearance of legitimacy due military and governmental figure sourcing of the information. The video doesn't offer a product to purchase, but the posting organization accepts donations and lobbies/advocates against many public health initiatives.
What doesn't works well?
This video was motivating, judging by viewer comments. Unfortunately, it was dishonest and manipulative. It presented misleading–even blatantly false–information to sway viewers towards the organization's cause.
Kelly Victory, MD (who presents herself as an "emergency medicine and disaster specialist"), is likely not certified in emergency medicine and has likely only practiced in administrative and consulting work since the late 1990s. She has had a number of media appearances during the pandemic, refuting the severity of COVID-19 and recommended public health measures.
The report Dr. Victory references came out of a COVID-19 panel discussion hosted by Ron Johnson, a conservative Republican Senator from Wisconsin known as a super-spreader of pandemic disinformation. The data in the report were provided by three military physicians–one of whom testified in a lawsuit filed by America's Frontline Doctors to stop the Pentagon's vaccine mandates. The data itself is also in question. According to Health Feedback (2022), a website that reviews and rates health claims, "Due to an error, the Defense Medical Epidemiology Database greatly underreported the number of medical conditions between 2016 and 2020. Claims that several medical conditions among the military greatly increased after COVID-19 vaccination were therefore based on erroneous data and are incorrect."
This post exhibits many ethical violations. Unfortunately, it's not illegal and is very persuasive–a losing situation for public health.
References:
Barrett, S. (2020). A skeptical look at Kelly Victory, M.D. Quackwatch.org. Retrieved on June 12, 2022, from https://quackwatch.org/11ind/a-skeptical-look-at-kelly-victory-m-d/
Carballo-Carbajal, I. (2022). HealthFeedback.org. Alleged spikes in medical conditions among the military after COVID-19 vaccine rollout are based on faulty data due to a database glitch. Retrieved on June 12, 2022, from https://healthfeedback.org/claimreview/alleged-spikes-in-medical-conditions-military-after-covid-19-vaccine-based-on-faulty-data-thomas-renz/
Manookian, L. (n.d.). About Leslie. LeslieManookian.com. Retrieved on June 12, 2022, from https://lesliemanookian.com/about/
Mizelle, K. K. (2022). Health Freedom Def. Fund v. Biden. CaseText.com. Retrieved on June 12, 2022, from https://casetext.com/case/health-freedom-def-fund-v-biden-1
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