RFK Jr. Debates Dr Hotez on Covid-19 Vaccines and US Polices
A Bing Chat simulated debate is very realistic but not very informative.
Twitter and numerous other media outlets have been abuzz since Democrat Presidential candidate and prominent vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared on the Joe Rogan podcast, which resulted in a challenge by Kennedy to Dr. Peter Hotez MD. Ph.D. to debate the efficacy and safety of vaccines.
Hotez quickly and publicly refused to debate Kennedy despite pledges by Rogan and others to give millions of dollars to Hotez’s favorite charity if he were to debate. That’s a shame because some of Kennedy’s quacky ideas, such as the claim that vaccines are causing an increase in autism, are harmful. Dr Hotez is likely afraid that some of his unscientific positions he espoused nightly on TV during the pandemic as an expert commentator, such as urging and supporting drastic covid measures like lockdowns, school closures and forced masking of children, would be hard to defend now that we know more.
Since a debate ITRW appears unlikely, I thought it would be entertaining to let the Microsoft AI Bing Chat host the debate.
Note: I used the wrong initials (JFK Jr. vs RFK Jr.) for the prompt below but somehow Bing Chat figured out what I intended.
Prompt:
Bing Chat:
JFK Jr.: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'm John F. Kennedy Jr., the son of the late president and a journalist who founded George magazine. I'm here to debate Dr. Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist and advocate, on the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines and US COVID-19 policies. I believe that these vaccines are experimental, dangerous, and unnecessary, and that they violate our constitutional rights and medical freedom. I also believe that the US government has mishandled the pandemic response and has censored alternative views and treatments. Dr. Hotez, you have one minute to make your opening statement.
Dr. Hotez: Thank you, John. I'm Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine and the co-director of the Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. I'm also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee for my work on developing vaccines for neglected tropical diseases. I'm here to debate John F. Kennedy Jr., a lawyer and anti-vaccine activist, on the efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines and US COVID-19 policies. I believe that these vaccines are safe, effective, and lifesaving, and that they are the best tool we have to end this pandemic and prevent future ones. I also believe that the US government has done its best to follow the science and protect public health, despite facing unprecedented challenges and misinformation. John, you have one minute to respond.
JFK Jr.: Dr. Hotez, you claim that these vaccines are safe and effective, but where is the evidence? These vaccines were rushed through development and approval without proper testing or oversight. They use a new technology called mRNA that has never been used before in humans. They have not been proven to prevent infection or transmission of the virus. They have caused thousands of deaths and injuries, according to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which is a passive surveillance system that relies on voluntary reports from doctors and patients. And they have not been tested for long-term effects on fertility, immunity, or cancer risk. How can you trust these vaccines when they are so risky and unproven?
Dr. Hotez: John, you are spreading false and misleading information that undermines public confidence in these vaccines and puts lives at risk. These vaccines were developed and approved based on rigorous scientific standards and data from large-scale clinical trials involving tens of thousands of volunteers. They use a well-established technology called mRNA that has been studied for decades and has been used safely in other vaccines and therapies. They have been shown to prevent severe illness and death from COVID-19 by more than 90%, according to multiple studies from around the world. They have a very high safety profile, with only rare and mild side effects reported in a small fraction of recipients, according to the Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), which is an active surveillance system that monitors vaccine safety using electronic health records from millions of Americans. And they have no evidence of causing any long-term harm to fertility, immunity, or cancer risk, according to experts from the FDA, CDC, WHO, and other reputable organizations.
JFK Jr.: Dr. Hotez, you are relying on flawed and biased studies that are funded by the pharmaceutical industry and influenced by political agendas. These studies do not account for the natural immunity that millions of people have acquired after recovering from COVID-19, which is far superior and longer-lasting than vaccine-induced immunity. These studies also do not address the serious safety concerns that have emerged with these vaccines, such as blood clots, myocarditis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and antibody-dependent enhancement, which could make vaccinated people more susceptible to severe disease from new variants of the virus. How can you ignore these risks and push for mass vaccination of healthy people who do not need it?
Dr. Hotez: John, you are cherry-picking isolated reports and anecdotal cases that do not reflect the overall safety and effectiveness of these vaccines. These vaccines have been tested and monitored in millions of people across different countries and settings, and the benefits far outweigh the risks. The rare side effects that you mentioned have been investigated and found to be extremely low in frequency and severity, and treatable in most cases. The vaccines do not interfere with natural immunity, but rather enhance it and provide broader protection against different strains of the virus. The vaccines are not only for healthy people, but also for those who are at high risk of severe outcomes or who may transmit the virus to others who are vulnerable. How can you deny these benefits and discourage people from getting vaccinated when it could save their lives and end this pandemic?
JFK Jr.: Dr. Hotez, you are exaggerating the benefits and downplaying the risks of these vaccines. These vaccines do not prevent infection or transmission of the virus, as we have seen with the recent surge of cases among vaccinated people in Israel, UK, US, and other countries. These vaccines also do not provide lasting protection, as we have seen with the waning immunity and breakthrough infections among vaccinated people after a few months. These vaccines also do not protect against new variants of the virus, such as the Delta variant, which is more contagious and resistant to vaccine-induced antibodies. The vaccines are not only ineffective, but also dangerous, as they could drive the evolution of more virulent variants by putting selective pressure on the virus. How can you support these vaccines when they could prolong this pandemic and make it worse?
Dr. Hotez: John, you are misinterpreting the data and spreading misinformation about these vaccines. These vaccines do reduce infection and transmission of the virus, as we have seen with the dramatic decline of cases and deaths in countries with high vaccination rates, such as Israel, UK, US, and others. These vaccines also provide durable protection, as we have seen with the high efficacy against severe disease and death even after six months or more. These vaccines also protect against new variants of the virus, such as the Delta variant, which is still susceptible to vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies and T cells. The vaccines are not only effective, but also safe, as they do not cause or promote viral evolution by themselves, but rather prevent it by reducing viral replication and transmission. How can you oppose these vaccines when they could prevent millions of deaths and end this pandemic?
While the dialogue back and forth seems very realistic on a superficial level, it is also light on facts and full of platitudes. With regard to few actual claimed facts:
Bing Chat Kennedy claims that the VAERS database shows that thousands have been killed by the vaccine. This is false. As of 11/9/2021 over 14,000 people had died in the weeks and months after receiving the vaccine but given that as of 11/9/2021, 223 million people had been vaccinated the 14,000 deaths is consistent with the expected number of deaths due to other causes.
Bing Chat Dr. Hotez claims that vaccines have been shown to prevent severe illness and death from COVID-19 by more than 90%. That was only true in late 2020 and early 2021. By the time the Delta variant arrived in 2021 the efficacy of the vaccines had fallen below 50% and it continued to fall thereafter, due in part to evolution of the virus, and due to widespread natural immunity.
I would have liked to hear a discussion on controversial government policies, such as mandatory vaccines, forced masking (especially children), and COVID vaccine mandates for children. Maybe next Chat.
In the end, I doubt neither a real debate between the two men nor a simulated one would change the minds of many observers.
Isn’t he RFK Jr.