Drauzio Varella calls for legal consequences for vaccine misinformation

Drauzio Varella argues that individuals who spread misinformation regarding vaccines should be held legally accountable for crimes against public health. He distinguishes between ignorance, which can be cured through learning, and stupidity, which he defines as a lack of self-criticism and an immunity to rationality.

Varella notes that even highly educated individuals can fall victim to such behavior, citing an academic who refused allopathic medicine for diabetes in favor of ineffective natural treatments. Reflecting on his upbringing in São Paulo, he describes a time when childhood diseases like measles and rubella were common risks, and the fear of polio was a constant presence in society.