These Pro-Vaccine Doctors Hope So…
MedPage Today hosted Dr. Paul Offit, Dr. Jeremy Faust and social media personality “Dr. Mike” in a “debate” about physicians engaging with “misinformation spreaders.” The trio of pro-vaccine doctors lamented their lack of social media presence and said they needed to do a better job of promoting their views to a broader audience. According to OpenPayments, in 2023 alone, Dr. Mike took more than $1 million in consulting fees and other compensation from Abbott Labs, whose products include flu tests and a flu vaccine.
by Brenda Baletti, Ph.D. … February 26, 2026
Should physicians engage with people who spread medical misinformation — or avoid confrontation to keep from legitimizing bad actors?
In this 46-minute MedPage Today webinar, Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Faust, MD, moderates a candid discussion between Mike “Dr. Mike” Varshavski, DO, and vaccine expert Paul Offit, MD, on whether engaging bad actors helps or harms public trust. The discussion spans platforming, peer review, online harassment, and how doctors can communicate more effectively in a polarized media environment.
Featuring:
- Jeremy Faust, MD, (moderator) editor-in-chief at MedPage Today
- 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