Dr. Robert Redfield, former head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has offered insights into the reasons behind public hesitancy toward the COVID-19 vaccine.
Honesty Reluctant
He has pinpointed federal officials’ reluctance to engage in an open and honest dialogue on the subject as a significant contributor to this hesitancy.
Redfield emphasized the importance of transparency in addressing vaccine concerns, saying, “I always said … my position was just tell the American public the truth: There are side effects to vaccines. Tell them the truth, and don’t try to package it.”
He revealed that within the federal government, there were individuals who expressed concerns about the public’s reluctance to embrace the COVID-19 vaccine.
False Perception of Immunity
Redfield criticized the portrayal of the vaccine as providing “complete” immunity, labeling it a “false perception.”
He believed that some federal officials were responsible for perpetuating this narrative, stating, “There was such an attempt to not let anybody get any hint that maybe vaccines weren’t foolproof, which, of course, we now know they have significant limitations.”
According to Redfield, the prevailing perception among Americans was that there was a lack of open and honest discussion about vaccines and their safety.
Eroding Public Trust
This perception, coupled with vaccine mandates imposed by government bodies, educational institutions, and some businesses, further eroded public trust.
“I think we should have, really, confidence and not be afraid to debate the issues that we think are in the public’s interest and just tell the public the truth,” added the former CDC head.
During the height of the pandemic, various medical professionals, skeptics, and journalists faced censorship and social media account suspensions for raising questions about vaccine safety or efficacy.
Social Media Ban
Independent journalist Alex Berenson’s X (Twitter) account was suspended in August 2021 for allegedly violating the platform’s COVID “misinformation” policies.
Berenson later asserted that government officials had influenced the social media giant to target his account.
Documents known as the “Twitter Files,” released after Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform, revealed extensive communications between federal agencies like the FBI and former top Twitter officials.
Social Media Prohibited
A recent court ruling upheld a decision that limits the Biden administration’s interactions with social media companies concerning content moderation rules.
The appeals court narrowed down the restrictions set by Judge Terry Doughty, ensuring they applied solely to specific agencies, such as the CDC, FBI, surgeon general’s office, and the White House.
These agencies are now prohibited from communicating with social media platforms about their content policies.
Accusations of Coercion
The appeals court’s order on September 8th stated that several officials likely coerced or significantly influenced social media platforms to moderate content, which they deemed as state actions. The judges concluded that these actions likely violated the First Amendment.
Doughty, in July, granted an injunction and highlighted the evidence suggesting a vast censorship campaign by the federal government. He described the situation as an “Orwellian ‘Ministry of Truth'” scenario.
What About Freedom of Speech!?
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry commented on the injunction, stating that it prevents the administration from censoring America’s’ core political speech on social media platforms.
Landry expressed his shock and offense at the evidence, stating, “The evidence in our case is shocking and offensive with senior federal officials deciding that they could dictate what Americans can and cannot say on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other platforms about COVID-19, elections, criticism of the government, and more.”
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The post Eroding Trust: Government Censored Truth About Vaccines and Hope to Restrict What Americans Say on Social Media first appeared on The Net Worth Of.
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Source: Fox News