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Event Topic:
BIONews + video — Should Physicians Engage With Misinformation?

Event Description:
Should physicians engage with people who spread misinformation, or avoid confrontation? I’ve discussed this dilemma before—but it’s time to take this to the next level and bring in some A-list experts. Background and all-star panelists, moderator Jeremy Faust, MD. In March 2025, family medicine physician and social media personality Mike Varshavski, DO, also known as “Dr. Mike,” appeared on Jubilee’s “Surrounded” to debate 20 vaccine skeptics. Later that year, he returned to debate 20 supporters of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Feedback from the medical community was mixed. Some physicians argued that engaging in these debates signals that both sides are equally credible, even when they are not. Dr. Mike countered, saying that “bringing people together to discuss issues is a huge win.” Meanwhile, vaccine expert (and Inside Medicine regular) Paul Offit, MD, declined invitations to debate vaccine safety from anti-vaccine lawyer Aaron Siri and from entrepreneur and anti-vaccine activist Steve Kirsch, who supposedly offered Offit $1 million to participate. In his Substack, “Beyond the Noise,” Offit wrote, “Vaccine safety is a scientific question that should be solved in a scientific venue, not on a debate stage.” So, should physicians take the stage with bad actors or avoid them altogether? Join Dr. Mike and Dr. Offit for a candid discussion about how doctors can best respond in the age of misinformation. Featuring: • Mike “Dr. Mike” Varshavski, DO, board-certified family medicine physician and the most followed doctor on social media • Paul Offit, MD, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Date/Time:
Date(s) - 03/17/26
8:15 am - 10:15 am

Event Location:
Zoom talk: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83593256859:

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Cost:
$0

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