The Politicization of Medicine

Over recent years, I’ve seen medical boards, especially in California, succumb to political and pharmaceutical pressures. The government’s growing influence over healthcare has led to the punishment of doctors who advocate for alternative treatments or question mainstream practices. A prime example is the vaccine mandates enforced in the state. California now requires 72 doses of vaccines for children to attend school—an astronomical increase from the minimal vaccines required when I was young. This shift raised alarms for me, not because vaccines are inherently harmful, but because of the increasingly rigid and punitive approach to those who dissent.

In 2015, SB277 eliminated all personal belief exemptions for vaccines in California, marking a turning point. Even limited medical exemptions were heavily regulated, overseen by individuals with little understanding of medicine. Cases like Hannah Poling, who regressed into autism-like symptoms after multiple vaccinations, highlight the potential dangers some children face. Yet, these stories are often discredited or hidden from public view, as in Poling's case.

The subsequent SB276, passed in 2018, tightened control over vaccine exemptions. Schools and local health authorities, ill-equipped to evaluate medical exemptions, became key players in rejecting them. Doctors were put under scrutiny for approving exemptions, even for children with legitimate health risks. This law was pushed by figures like Senator Pan, whose ties to pharmaceutical companies raised concerns about conflicts of interest. Studies supporting these laws often have similar conflicts, making it hard to discern genuine science from manipulated data.