It’s that they’re not experts at all. For example, Malone was involved in the earliest days of mRNA research in the 1980s. He’s not an expert on what other people subsequently did over the next 3 decades and his endorsement of medications which don’t work and the antivax movement shows that he’s no longer willing to meet the standards of being a scientist.
Now, that might be a sad, slightly comical end to a career if it was something harmless — similar to how, say, the creationists would latch onto one guy with a Ph.D in something science-related to say there was a controversy — but it’s medical malpractice at a time when thousands of people are dying daily and vaccination lowers that number by at least an order of magnitude.
To say that "Malone was involved in the earliest days of mRNA research in the 1980s" is an understatement to say the least really.
Malone is the discoverer of in-vitro and in-vivo RNA transfection [1] and architect of mRNA vaccine platform (check the 9 patents he holds) [2].
Please don't take what I'm saying here as an attack on you personally, but what makes you capable of saying that he's not an expert on "what other people subsequently did over the next 3 decades". And what sort of credentials you personally have to say that whatever medication he's endorsing "don’t work", or that "he’s no longer willing to meet the standards of being a scientist". What are those standards? Is it that he's not part of the consensus you're speaking of?
With that being said, I'm absolutely NOT saying that he is right and the others are wrong either. But to pretend that he's dangerous and others are not just because he doesn't bias in the direction you like is not a good reason really to dismiss it, or to want to brand whatever show he gets hosted on as "dangerous" for doing so. He has as much right to say his mind as others. He's no more dangerous than Anthony Fauci or any other expert involved.
Where was his involvement in the development or testing of the vaccines we’re actually using? The extensive safety and efficacy reviews which were conducted in multiple countries prior to authorization? The ongoing review since then?
That’s what matters when discussing his expertise on the subject of the COVID vaccine. It doesn’t matter how great he might have been at one of the many parts of the scientific process which got us here, what matters is the topic we’re actually discussing. Scientists are not like you see in the movies: nobody is an expert at everything and they’re not perfect, either — that’s why the process is built around adversarial review since everyone makes mistakes. Linus Pauling was a Nobel laureate and by all accounts a brilliant researcher but that didn’t mean he was right about vitamin megadoses.
> Where was Fauci during the development of the vaccine?
This is such a weird question because the answer is obvious, he was working in a leading role as the head of a government agency who has to be involved with/aware of what is going on with the vaccine.
Fauci is not claiming that his views are based on being an inventor of the technology. He’s saying that he’s read the papers by the many scientists involved and is basing his advice on that heavily-reviewed work. Malone could submit his claims to the same process but he knows that they’d never hold up to examination.
It’s fine to criticize that, but you should be even handed and also acknowledge that establishment experts and captured mainstream institutions have tried very hard with deceptive tactics to hide any possibility (I said possibility… I didn’t say fact) that the people dying daily you are concerned about are dying from a virus released by a lab leak in a system managed by what would seem to be your preferred experts. The possibility is there and it should not be deflected from with deception and talking points.
In other words you are so concerned about the credibility of one person, but you don’t seem to care that the entire field has compromised its own credibility by the behavior of its leading figures and key institutions.
What is "antivax"? He was vaccinated against covid! And afaik doesn't question vaccination in general, he just has raised concerns about the MRNA Covid vaccines because of the Spike Protein. His concerns may be disproportionate and not necessarily what I'd prioritize during a global pandemic but saying he has blood on his hands and calling for censorship seems outrageous...
He’s making false claims about the vaccines’ safety and speaking at antivax events. He doesn’t need to believe what he’s saying - plenty of people find it profitable not to - but that’s irrelevant because his public statements have the same impact whether or not he believes them.
> He’s making false claims about the vaccines’ safety
Like what? From your Atlantic piece this seems to be the closest to a false claim and its pretty underwhelming. These pieces read more like I should be upset because he appears is in the same sentence as Steve Bannon or the Proud Boys than the actual content of what he has said.
"Malone may keep company with vaccine skeptics, but he insists he is not one himself. His objections to the Pfizer and Moderna shots have to do mostly with their expedited approval process and with the government’s system for tracking adverse reactions. Speaking as a doctor, he would probably recommend their use only for those at highest risk from COVID-19. Everyone else should be wary" [1]
> and speaking at antivax events.
The one linked in your second article is an Anti-Vaccine Mandate event, which is not the same thing as being anti vaccine. It's possible to appreciate the benefits of vaccines and simultaneous think the government shouldn't force everyone to take one.
Now, that might be a sad, slightly comical end to a career if it was something harmless — similar to how, say, the creationists would latch onto one guy with a Ph.D in something science-related to say there was a controversy — but it’s medical malpractice at a time when thousands of people are dying daily and vaccination lowers that number by at least an order of magnitude.