Dr. Peter Hotez: Standing Strong as COVID and Measles Threaten a Comeback

When the mob screams lies, the truth-tellers stand taller.

Dr. Peter Hotez: Standing Strong as COVID and Measles Threaten a Comeback

When the mob screams lies, the truth-tellers stand taller.

The Jack Hopkins Now Newsletter #548: Sunday, September 14th, 2025.

*Note: My passion for health and wellness is rooted in service. In the 1990s, I served as the Senior Navy Corpsman (Medic) on both a cardiac step-down unit and the oncology wing, then went on to lead as Head Nurse in both a correctional facility Ad Seg Unit and an assisted living center.

Those years on the frontlines of care shaped everything I believe about resilience… healing…and human dignity…and eventually guided me toward my second career in psychology and a fascinating array of experiences using that knowledge over the next twenty-seven years.

The respect…awe…and gratitude I feel for the men and women out there saving lives is bigger than anything I could ever put into words.

I intended to publish this months ago. However…it never felt complete. So, I would add…rearrange…etc. I could wait no longer.

Let’s Start With the Ugly Truth

In a sane world…a man who’s spent his life protecting children from disease would be celebrated.

Honored. Given the keys to every city.

But this isn’t a sane world. This is a world where ignorance sells faster than truth…and where the loudest voices on the internet aren’t healers…they’re peddlers of poison.

So instead of gratitude…Dr. Peter Hotez…one of the world’s foremost vaccine scientists…gets death threats. Instead of applause…he gets smeared as evil.

Instead of peace…he wakes up every day to bile…lies…and a crowd that would rather burn him at the stake than listen.

And still…he shows up.

Still…he fights.

Still…he works to save lives, even the lives of people who spit in his face.

That’s courage. And that’s why this article isn’t just about medicine. It’s about what it means to stand up in the middle of a hurricane of lies and keep working for the good of the world.

The Stakes We Pretend Don’t Exist

Let’s cut the crap.

COVID-19 is not “over.”

Variants keep emerging…mutating faster than political talking points. And the diseases we thought we had beaten…measles…polio…whooping cough…are clawing their way back because too many people bought the anti-vaxx snake oil.

When Dr. Hotez warns about this…he’s not playing politics. He’s not running for office. He’s not selling supplements.

He’s sounding the alarm on reality:

The world is teetering on the edge of losing control over diseases we once had in a chokehold.

And it’s not because the science failed. It’s because people refuse to listen. Because in too many communities…Facebook memes carry more weight than decades of research.

That ignorance isn’t harmless. It’s lethal.

Who Is Peter Hotez, Really?

Strip away the slander…and here’s what you see:

Vaccine Developer:

Co-creator of vaccines for neglected tropical diseases. Co-led the development of a low-cost COVID vaccine distributed in India and Indonesia.

Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine:

At Baylor College of Medicine.

Humanitarian:

Dedicated to low-cost…accessible solutions for the developing world..not profit-driven Big Pharma projects.

Author:

His books (Preventing the Next Pandemic, The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science) lay out, in plain terms…how misinformation kills.

This is a man who could’ve chosen an easier life. He could’ve cashed in. Instead, he chose the hard path: fighting not just viruses, but lies.

* Thorough bio at the end of this article.

Watch Who the Mob Attacks

If you want to know who matters…watch who gets attacked.

Who gets the smear campaigns? Who gets the hit pieces? Who gets the endless stream of bile?

It’s never the charlatans. It’s the people standing between the mob and the cliff.

Hotez gets attacked precisely because he’s effective.

Because when he speaks…people listen. Because every time he explains the science… another crack forms in the wall of ignorance the anti-vaxx cult has built.

The mob hates him because he makes their lies look stupid. And nothing enrages liars more than a truth they can’t shout down.

What’s the Real Cost of Ignorance?

Some of the smartest people I’ve ever known have a ruthless way of asking the right question: what’s the real cost of ignoring this?

So let’s run the math.

Measles:

Highly contagious. Once nearly eradicated. Now roaring back in communities where vaccination rates plummeted. Children die because their parents were sold a lie.

Polio:

Gone from most of the world. But fragments of the virus are showing up in wastewater in major cities. Why? Because vaccination gaps create cracks for it to creep through.

COVID-19:

Variants keep spreading. Millions dead worldwide. Long COVID disabling millions more. And yet…whole communities refuse shots because they’d rather believe a meme than a scientist.

That’s the cost. Not abstract. Not theoretical. Dead kids. Disabled adults. Overwhelmed hospitals.

The anti-vaxx movement doesn’t just spread lies…it spreads disease.

Persuasion Is Survival

Persuasion isn’t optional. It’s survival.

Dr. Hotez understands that. He doesn’t just sit in labs. He goes on TV. He writes books. He explains…over and over…in plain English…why vaccines matter.

He knows the science won’t save us if it never leaves the ivory tower.

That’s why the anti-vaxx crowd hates him most of all.

Because he’s not just a scientist…they can ignore those. He’s a communicator. He takes away their excuse of ignorance.

Persuasion…in this case…isn’t about selling a product. It’s about selling survival.

The Smear Machine

Let’s not romanticize this. The attacks on Hotez aren’t random. They’re organized.

• Troll armies flood his mentions with bile.

• Politicians use him as a punching bag to score points.

• Conspiracy peddlers paint him as a villain in their fantasy scripts.

Why? Because in their story…someone has to play the devil. And it sure as hell won’t be them.

So they pick the man who dares to tell the truth. The man who stands in the way of their clicks…their ad revenue…their grift.

It’s projection. They accuse him of being what they are: dangerous…dishonest… destructive.

Why This Matters to You

Maybe you’re not a scientist. Maybe you don’t think pandemics are your daily problem.

But here’s the Jack Hopkins cut-to-the-bone truth: if you don’t care about this fight…it will still come for you.

Disease doesn’t care if you’re left…right…or independent. It doesn’t care if you own a truck or a Tesla. It doesn’t care if you’ve got a PhD or you barely scraped high school.

When vaccination rates drop…everyone is at risk. Herd immunity isn’t charity…it’s protection. When the herd breaks…everyone’s exposed.

So the work Hotez does isn’t just for “other people.” It’s for you. For your kids. For your parents. For your future.

The Courage to Keep Going

Think about it:

How many people would keep going if every day brought new death threats? If every TV appearance was followed by hate mail? If strangers accused you of crimes you didn’t commit?

Most people would fold. Hide. Cash out.

Not Hotez.

He wakes up…shows up…and keeps pushing. Not because it’s easy. Not because it’s safe. But because he knows what’s at stake.

That’s courage. And that’s the kind of courage this country desperately needs to recognize, reward, and replicate.

What You Can Do

This isn’t just about applauding from the sidelines. It’s about action.

Get vaccinated.

Protect yourself…your family…your community.

Counter lies.

When you hear misinformation…don’t stay silent. Push back with facts.

Support science.

Share the voices of people like Hotez. Elevate the truth above the noise.

Because every time you let a lie slide…it grows. And every time you push back…it cracks.

The Battle You’re Not Seeing

Here’s what the mainstream won’t tell you:

The anti-vaxx movement isn’t just random Facebook groups. It’s organized…funded…and politically weaponized.

• Dark money is flowing into campaigns designed to undermine public health.

• Political operatives are turning vaccine lies into wedge issues.

• Media outlets are amplifying disinformation because outrage sells better than truth.

Dr. Hotez isn’t just fighting viruses. He’s fighting an industry of lies that makes billions off fear.

Why the Attacks Will Get Worse

As COVID variants keep mutating and vaccine boosters remain essential…the anti-vaxx mob will double down. They need an enemy to blame…and people like Hotez are the perfect source: visible…credible…effective.

But the uglier it gets…the more important his work becomes.

The Bottom Line

Courage doesn’t mean you don’t feel fear. It means you act anyway.

Peter Hotez embodies that. And in an age where lies move faster than truth…his example is a reminder: the fight for science…health…and decency isn’t abstract. It’s personal.

The question is: will we let the liars win? Or will we stand with the people who keep showing up…even when it costs them everything?

BONUS DEEP DIVE: The Receipts (What the Data Actually Says)

Let’s kill the “it’s all overblown” fantasy with facts that bite.

1) Measles isn’t “back”…it’s booming

This year is the worst measles year in America in three decades.

As of early September, the U.S. has blown past 1,400 confirmed cases (CDC’s live dashboard now tracks 2025 week by week), with clusters seeded by falling MMR coverage and travel.

Measles isn’t a “mild rash.” It’s a grenade. One infected person can spread it to 9 out of 10 susceptible people in the same room. And when it hits infants…those too young to be vaccinated…the long tail can be lethal.

Los Angeles just reported a heartbreaking case: a school-age child died from SSPE…a rare…fatal brain disease that appears years after a measles infection caught in infancy.

Risk of SSPE is estimated around 1 in 10,000 measles infections overall…but a harrowing 1 in 600 for infants infected before they were eligible for MMR. That’s not fear-mongering; that’s math…and it’s why community immunity is non-negotiable. Reuters+3CDC+3AP News+3

Translation:

When anti-vaxx lies shave “just a few points” off MMR rates…babies pay the price. Not theoretical babies…our babies.

2) Polio’s postcard from the past

Remember the 2022 paralytic polio case in New York?

Wastewater surveillance then lit up in multiple counties…detecting genetically linked type-2 poliovirus where it had no business being. That wasn’t a one-day headline; it was a flare shot over a complacent nation.

Poliovirus thrives in cracks…gaps in routine vaccination create corridors for it to move. The MMWR write-up reads like a warning label: if coverage stays soft… paralysis won’t stay rare. CDC+1

Translation: Polio didn’t “come back.” We let it back in by treating routine shots like a lifestyle choice.

3) COVID isn’t done with us; the virus keeps innovating

SARS-CoV-2 didn’t retire after the news cycle moved on.

The WHO’s variant dashboard shows an alphabet soup of JN.1 descendants and spin-offs (e.g., KP.3, KP.3.1.1, XEC) monitored through mid-2025…because immune escape keeps inching forward.

The takeaway isn’t panic; it’s diligence: keep vaccination updated…ventilation smart… and surveillance honest. Pretending “it’s over” is a gift to a virus that evolves for a living. datadot+1

Translation:

We don’t outrun evolution with vibes. We do it with boosters…better air…and better data.

4) Long COVID is real…and it’s reshaping public health

CDC’s current framework treats Long COVID as a standing public-health problem:

As of today, (more on that on another article)…ongoing surveillance…stigma reduction…prevention via updated vaccination…and care pathways that don’t gaslight patients. Even with estimates shifting as new data arrive…the policy signal is clear: it’s not a niche phenomenon; it’s an economic and clinical drag we can reduce with prevention. CDC+1

Translation:

Shots don’t just cut severe disease; they cut the dice roll on months-to-years of post-viral fallout.

5) Misinformation lowers vaccination…measurably

This isn’t a vibes debate.

Peer-reviewed studies show exposure to vaccine misinformation pushes coverage down. One large U.S. analysis found vaccination rates notably drop among people who’ve soaked in false claims, compared to those who haven’t. That’s the pipeline: lies → hesitancy → outbreaks. Nature+1

Translation:

Disinformation campaigns don’t just “express opinions.” They manufacture epidemics.

6) What Hotez actually built (and why it matters)

Strip away the smear machine and look at the receipts on Hotez’s work.

Along with Maria Elena Bottazzi, he helped spearhead CORBEVAX…a low-cost… patent-free protein subunit COVID-19 vaccine created at Texas Children’s/Baylor…authorized for use in India in late 2021 and later used in additional countries.

The strategy wasn’t slick IP monetization; it was global access…open-science vaccinology so low- and middle-income countries could scale production without waiting at rich nations’ doors.

Baylor highlighted the “for-the-world” design; Texas Children’s confirmed India’s EUA. This is what anti-vaxxers call “evil Big Pharma”? A patent-free vaccine recipe so others can make it themselves? Spare me. Baylor University News+1

Translation:

While grifters sold supplements on podcasts…Hotez’s team shipped a workable…build-anywhere vaccine recipe to the global South.

7) Why the attacks target communicators…not just scientists

The anti-science economy doesn’t fear a paper in Nature:

It fears a scientist who can translate a paper on tv…radio…and in plain-English books. Hotez isn’t just a lab coat; he’s a translator:

Baylor dean…vaccine developer…and a physician who takes the time to explain basics to civilians.

That’s why the mobs swarm him. They don’t want you to understand…because once you understand…you immunize yourself against their product: fear. Baylor College of Medicine

Translation:

The business model of disinformation collapses when audiences get facts in human language.

The “So What” (Why this isn’t trivia)

Here’s the thread you can pull straight through all of it:

• Falling MMR coverage → more measles → more infant risk → SSPE years later. That LA case isn’t a one-off tragedy; it’s a forecast of what low coverage buys us. AP News+1

• Complacency + gaps → polio in wastewater. The virus only needs cracks. We gave it a doorway in 2022; it will try the handle again if we let it. CDC

• SARS-CoV-2 keeps mutating; we owe it a moving defense. WHO’s variant monitoring exists because reality changes; our countermeasures need to keep up. datadot

• Misinformation moves needles…down. Every “harmless” rumor nudges coverage… which nudges outbreaks…which nudges death. That’s the causal ladder. Nature

• Hotez’s lane is access…not enrichment. Patent-free tech transfer is the exact opposite of the cartoon villain narrative. Texas Children’s+1

Put Some Teeth on the Takeaways

If you love “freedom,” vaccinate.

Measles removes freedom from families for weeks; SSPE removes it forever. Community immunity is the freedom policy for infants. AP News

If you hate “mandates,” protect coverage so we don’t need them.

High voluntary uptake makes coercion unnecessary. Fall below the herd-immunity floor and the mandates show up because the morgues will if they don’t. CDC

If you’re tired of COVID…update the shot.

It’s how we shrink hospital surges and the odds of long COVID. It’s also how we tell the virus there’s no free lunch. CDC

If you think Hotez is the problem, look at his ledger.

Low-cost, patent-free vaccine; decades fighting neglected diseases; Baylor/Texas Children’s service roles. That’s not a villain resume. Baylor College of Medicine+1

Numbers with a pulse

One last image to keep in your pocket the next time a cousin forwards you a video “just asking questions”:

A baby in Los Angeles caught measles years ago before she was old enough for MMR. The baby survived. Grew. Laughed. Went to school.

Then, years later…SSPE arrived; slow…devastating…irreversible. That’s what “just the measles” can mean in the real world…not in a comment thread.

And the only real shield against that outcome is us…our collective decision to inoculate the herd so the littlest among us never have to meet the virus at all. Reuters+1

That’s the world Hotez fights for. Not perfect. Just possible…where science outruns lies often enough that kids get to grow up without learning what SSPE even stands for.

And if that’s not worth defending…what is?

Back soon. Enjoy the rest of your day. Seriously.


-Jack

Dr. Peter Hotez Bio:

Dr. Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D., is one of the most prominent physician-scientists of our time…a man who has dedicated his career to developing life-saving vaccines…expanding global access to medicine…and standing firm against the rising tide of anti-science disinformation.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut in 1958…Hotez pursued both medicine and science with equal vigor…earning his M.D. from Weill Cornell Medical College and his Ph.D. in molecular parasitology from Rockefeller University.

That dual training…physician and scientist…has defined his career: not content with just treating the sick…he has spent decades trying to eliminate the diseases that make people sick in the first place.

Champion of Neglected Diseases

As Co-Director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development and Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine…Hotez has been on the front lines of what he calls “the diseases of poverty.”

He has devoted much of his life to developing low-cost…patent-free vaccines for neglected tropical diseases like hookworm…schistosomiasis…and Chagas disease… illnesses that devastate millions in the developing world but receive little attention in wealthy nations.

A Vaccine for the World

When COVID-19 struck…Hotez and his longtime collaborator Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi co-led the development of CORBEVAX…a low-cost…open-science vaccine designed to be manufactured widely in low- and middle-income countries.

Unlike profit-driven ventures…CORBEVAX was released patent-free to maximize access…becoming a vital tool in India and other nations where high-cost mRNA vaccines weren’t feasible.

This humanitarian approach earned Hotez and Bottazzi nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022.

Public Advocate for Science

Beyond the lab…Hotez has become one of America’s most visible defenders of science. As a frequent media commentator and the author of books such as Preventing the Next Pandemic and The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science…he has worked tirelessly to counter misinformation…explain complex science in plain terms…and warn of the dangers of vaccine refusal.

His visibility has come at a cost. Hotez has been relentlessly targeted by anti-vaccine extremists…conspiracy theorists…and even political operatives.

He has endured harassment…threats..and smear campaigns…yet has refused to be silenced. For him..the stakes are too high: falling vaccination rates mean resurging measles…circulating polio…and endless waves of COVID variants.

Educator and Leader

Hotez has authored hundreds of scientific papers and served on numerous boards and committees. He has advised U.S. Presidents…testified before Congress…and served as U.S. Science Envoy for the State Department.

He is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Why He Matters

At his core…Peter Hotez is more than a scientist. He is a humanitarian. His career has been defined not by profit or prestige…but by a relentless drive to make the world safer…healthier…and fairer.

He has chosen the harder path…to fight not just diseases…but disinformation. And in doing so…he has become a symbol of what courage looks like in an age where truth itself is under assault.