I'm not 98cwitr, but I'll answer;
Truth. Honesty. Accurate reporting of data. Explanations of flip flops.
The public health response to the pandemic has been dreadful. It's almost as if public health officials were trying to see just how much they could make the public distrust them. From one day to the next, shifting recommendations with no explanation, data or evidence to support them.
I'll give you an example; 2 days ago, Dr. Fauci said in an interview there is "no doubt" that 3-year olds should be masked in daycare. But the WHO says that no one under the age of 5 should be masked at all. Specifically, the WHO's guidance says (emphasis in original);
In general, children aged 5 years and under should not be required to wear masks. This advice is based on the safety and overall interest of the child and the capacity to appropriately use a mask with minimal assistance.
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Children and masks
Hmm. Dr. Fauci said there is "no doubt" that 3-year olds should be wearing masks. The WHO says that those 5 and under should NOT be rehired to wear masks "based on the safety and overall interest of the child". This is a direct contradiction in public health recommendations.
Social distancing. Fauci and the CDC say 6 feet. The WHO says nearly half that distance is OK at 1 meter (3.2 feet). Which one is correct?
These are simple examples of recommendations not based on science, evidence or data. They're literally made up out of thin air, and there is no quality data to support any of it. Even worse, there IS high quality evidence (available prior to the pandemic) that shows masks ARE NOT effective at slowing the spread of the disease. The CDC themselves did a systematic review of 10 RCTs of masking. Their review said (emphasis added);
One study evaluated the use of masks among pilgrims from Australia during the Hajj pilgrimage and reported no major difference in the risk for laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infection in the control or mask group.
The overall reduction in ILI or laboratory-confirmed influenza cases in the face mask group was not significant in either studies
None of the household studies reported a significant reduction in secondary laboratory-confirmed influenza virus infections in the face mask group
Our systematic review found no significant effect of face masks on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza.
Proper use of face masks is essential because improper use might increase the risk for transmission
Nonpharmaceutical Measures for Pandemic Influenza in Nonhealthcare Settings—Personal Protective and Environmental Measures
But don't take my word for it. Go read the studies for yourself. These aren't fringe, conspiracy sites. The systematic review referenced above was done by the CDC and published May 2020, right about the same time the CDC was telling everyone they needed to wear masks.
Now the answer I normally get for this is that science evolves. This is a true statement and simultaneously a distraction from the main point. Almost all of the studies of mask efficacy are observational, mechanistic and do not take into account behavioral science. They are literally at the lowest tier of the evidence pyramid, while RCTs and systematic reviews sit at the peak of the evidence pyramid. Why did public health discard decades of established, high quality science in favor of the lowest quality evidence available? Why did they completely disregard all pandemic preparedness plans and go with the great lockdown experiment of 2020?
I could go on, but hopefully you get the point. Public health hasn't answered any of these questions. They expect we should just sit back, shut up and listen to them because they are the "experts" and they know better. But that's not how this works. These are valid questions that deserve answers. And since public health has taken the approach they have, there is a large population of people that now distrust them. Heck, even doctors and nurses have lost their trust in the CDC and the FDA;
Out of nearly 2,000 U.S. nurses surveyed on Medscape (WebMD's sister site for health care professionals) between May 25 and June 3, 77% said their trust in the CDC has decreased since the start of the pandemic, and 51% said their trust in the FDA has decreased. Similarly, out of nearly 450 U.S. doctors surveyed in the same time period, 77% said their trust in the CDC has decreased and 48% said their trust in the FDA has decreased.
Trust in CDC, FDA Took a Beating During Pandemic
I know it would be more convenient if you could just write us all off as science/COVID deniers and other pejoratives, but if you really want to understand why vaccination uptake is so low, this is an excellent place to start.
