Side Table: Monkeypox, Public Health Messaging, and the CDC’s Trust Problem

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🎯 Why Listen

Journalist Ben Ryan joins the panel to unpack what really happened during the 2022 monkeypox outbreak, how public health messaging shaped public perception, and why institutions like the CDC are facing a crisis of trust. With decades of experience covering HIV and infectious disease, Ryan shares his perspective on risk communication, stigma, and the politics that shaped pandemic response.

👥 Host

• Anish Koka, MD – Cardiologist, Philadelphia; healthcare policy commentator

⭐ Special Guest

• Ben Ryan – Independent journalist; writer for The New York Times, Washington Post, NBC News, New York Post; author of the Substack Hazard Ratio
• Website: benryan.net
• Substack: benryan.substack.com
• X/Twitter: @benryanwriter

📌 Episode Overview

This episode dives into the monkeypox epidemic and the lessons it offers about public health credibility. Ben Ryan, whose reporting has appeared in leading national outlets, explains why he immediately recognized the outbreak as one concentrated within the gay community—and why public officials failed to say so clearly. The discussion covers stigma, vaccine rollout, behavior change, institutional groupthink, and what the CDC’s politicization means for future outbreaks.

💬 Notable Quotes

• “Children were more likely to be struck by lightning than to get monkeypox.” – Ben Ryan
• “The CDC prioritized not hurting feelings over delivering clear, direct health information.” – Ben Ryan
• “Public trust is lost when officials carve out exceptions for ideology while ignoring obvious risk patterns.” – Ben Ryan

📚 What You’ll Learn

• Why monkeypox spread primarily among gay men and what the data showed in real time
• How fear of stigma influenced CDC messaging—and its unintended consequences
• The role of behavior change vs. vaccination in halting the outbreak
• Why politicization and groupthink are eroding trust in public health institutions
• What lessons from HIV and COVID-19 should have informed monkeypox response

⏱ The Episode (Timestamps)

• [00:00] Why monkeypox caught Ben Ryan’s attention
• [02:00] Introduction to Ben Ryan’s reporting background
• [03:30] CDC departures and politicization
• [05:00] Stigma vs. direct communication in outbreak messaging
• [07:30] Misleading slogans and their public impact
• [10:00] Inside the CDC’s vaccine rollout strategy
• [13:00] Groupthink and public health language shifts
• [15:00] The clash between activism, stigma, and behavior change
• [18:00] How the LGBT community actually responded
• [20:00] Natural immunity, vaccine uptake, and why the outbreak ended
• [22:00] What future outbreaks may look like and lessons for public health

🔗 Connect with the Hosts:

• Dutch Rojas on X

• Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio on X

• Dr. Anish Koka on X

• Dr. Dan Choi on X

• Dr. Sanat Dixit on X