We Want Them Infected Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent dissect the latest controversies around censorship, disinformation, and the rewriting of COVID's history. From Jonathan's YouTube ban after posting videos of public officials, to David Zweig's revisionist narratives about school closures, the conversation exposes how propaganda tactics and false claims are reshaping public perception.  They also...

Public health leaders, scientists, and concerned citizens are rallying together to demand accountability from RFK Jr. His recent decisions and rhetoric have ignited a firestorm of criticism, raising alarms about the future of public health in America. A new petition calls for his immediate resignation, citing dangerous policies, lack of scientific transparency, and a disregard for evidence-based m...

In this episode of We Want Them Infected, Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent unpack the shocking CDC shooting in Atlanta, which many are calling "public health's January 6th." They trace how years of anti-science rhetoric from figures like RFK Jr., Jay Bhattacharya, and Vinay Prasad have fueled violent consequences. They also welcome their first guest, Dr. Philipp Markolin PhD, author of Lab Leak...

In this episode, we break down the high-profile firing of Dr. Vinay Prasad from his FDA leadership post. Once hailed as a contrarian voice in medicine, Prasad quickly became a polarizing figure both inside and outside the agency. We explore the tangled web of political infighting, pressure from Big Pharma, the biotech industry, and conspiracy theorists like Laura Loomer—and why this decision may h...

What happens when the loudest anti-vaccine voices stop podcasting and start running the FDA? In this explosive episode, Jonathan Howard and Wendy unpack how Drs. Marty Makary and Vinay Prasad — once champions of vaccine skepticism — are now in charge of public health policy… and finding themselves at war with the very conspiracy movement they courted. From quoting dubious anecdotes as "data" to do...

Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent unpack the ongoing collapse of trust in America's public health institutions, focusing on how FDA leaders Marty McCarey and Vinay Prasad weaponized vaccine myocarditis to undermine COVID vaccination efforts. With pediatric illnesses rising and the agency under fire from both scientists and extremists, this episode reveals how selective concern and ideological do...

The FDA is unraveling. Scientists are being fired, vaccine access is shrinking, and top researchers are fleeing the country. And at the center of the storm? RFK Jr.'s appointees—Marty Makary and Vinay Prasad—men who once sat behind keyboards criticizing pandemic policy, now wield real power with devastating results. In this week's episode, Jonathan and Wendy walk us through the chaos: from dismiss...

On this explosive Independence Day episode of We Want Them Infected, hosts Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent unravel a sobering transformation in U.S. public health. With agencies like the ACIP and NIH now steered by politically motivated leaders like RFK Jr., Vinay Prasad, and Jay Bhattacharya, science is taking a backseat to ideology. They dive deep into the disastrous ACIP meeting stacked wit...

In this powerful and deeply unsettling episode, Jonathan and Wendy take listeners on a guided tour of the growing dysfunction at America's top public health agencies. They expose the political entrenchment of ideologues like Vina Prasad and Marty Makary, the purging of veteran FDA scientists like Nicole Verdun, and the accelerating efforts to rubber-stamp drug approvals without oversight. Along th...

In this explosive episode, Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent confront the accelerating dismantling of America's public health infrastructure. They begin with the NIH staff revolt—documented in the newly published Bethesda Declaration —and Jay Bhattacharya's astonishing lack of awareness during Senate testimony. From there, they shift to RFK Jr.'s controversial appointments to the CDC's Advisory Comm...

Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent tear apart David Zweig's controversial book on school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Orent, who penned a scathing review, joins to dissect Zweig's misleading statistics, glaring omissions (like Delta and Omicron), and his cozy alignment with figures like Jay Bhattacharya and Marty Makary. The conversation dives into how public health history is being rew...

When the loudest critics of COVID mitigation take power, their tune changes—but not for the better. In this episode, Jonathan and Wendy unravel the contradictions and consequences of new booster guidelines championed by Drs. Makary and Prasad. Once RCT absolutists, they now admit boosters are vital for the elderly—but block access for the rest, citing shaky rationale and misrepresented internation...

Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent unpack the deep ironies and ethical contradictions behind recent appointments at the NIH and FDA. From once-demanded randomized controlled trials now deemed "not always necessary," to the political operatives now at the helm of America's public health infrastructure, the duo explores how power rewrites principles. They dissect statements from RFK Jr., Vinay Pras...

Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent examine the alarming elevation of wellness influencer Casey Means as Surgeon General nominee, despite lacking a medical license or conventional medical credibility. They delve into Vinay Prasad's appointment as head of vaccine regulation, scrutinizing his past critiques of RCT deficiencies—and the impossible standards he now sets for himself. The episode also in...

Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent return to discuss the alarming direction of U.S. public health, focusing on RFK Jr.'s misinformation campaign about vaccines, the threat of COVID booster access disappearing under political pressure, and the erosion of CDC authority.  They critique the hypocrisy of figures like Marty Makary and Vinay Prasad who now call for new randomized controlled trials while...

In this episode, Jonathan and Wendy reunite to unpack an overwhelming cascade of public health failures. From the misuse of "soft eugenics" rhetoric to justify vaccine hesitancy, to the measles outbreaks being minimized and blamed on migrants and past COVID policies, they trace the unraveling of scientific integrity under the new administration. They highlight how figures like RFK Jr., Marty Makar...

On this week's episode of We Want Them Infected, Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent dive into the apocalyptic headlines coming out of U.S. public health agencies. From mass firings at the NIH and FDA, to the appointment of anti-vaccine ideologues like Jay Bhattacharya and Marty Makary, this episode chronicles the rapid unraveling of institutional science under RFK Jr.'s administration. The duo unpack...

In their most urgent and emotionally charged episode yet, Dr. Jonathan Howard and science journalist Wendy Orent confront the accelerating unraveling of public health institutions in the United States under the RFK Jr. administration. They open with a flood of disturbing headlines: Peter Marks , the nation's top vaccine expert, has been ousted. Measles is surging in Texas, and children are arrivin...

This episode critically examines In COVID's Wake by Princeton professors Steven M. and Francis Lee, focusing on their defense of the Great Barrington Declaration. Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent argue that the authors downplay the catastrophic errors of the GBD architects, who pushed for herd immunity through mass infection while opposing vaccines, masks, and lockdowns.  The discussion highlig...

In this episode of Therapy Time with Jonathan and Wendy, hosts Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent dive into the growing measles outbreak in the U.S. and how it exposes the deadly consequences of RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine agenda. With 259 cases in Texas alone, including 34 hospitalizations and two deaths, the hosts discuss how this outbreak was entirely preventable—yet fueled by years of misinformati...

Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent analyze the confirmation of Jay Bhattacharya to the NIH, lamenting the Senate's failure to scrutinize his history of COVID misinformation.    They discuss RFK Jr.'s unexpected pro-vaccine article in response to the Texas measles outbreak, highlighting how real-world responsibility has forced him into an awkward position. Yet, despite acknowledging the measles vaccin...

Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent discuss the growing public health disasters under RFK Jr.'s leadership at HHS. They cover the first measles death of a child in over 30 years, the cancellation of a crucial flu vaccine advisory meeting, and the termination of funding for a promising oral COVID vaccine trial.    Meanwhile, RFK Jr. moves to eliminate public commentary on HHS decisions, and scienti...

Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent discuss the devastating consequences of public health misinformation, the rise of RFK Jr.'s influence, and the sweeping purges at institutions like the CDC, FDA, and NIH.    They examine how once-dismissive medical professionals are now reckoning with the damage as funding cuts and anti-vaccine policies take hold. The hosts also reflect on the role of social media i...

Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent discuss the disastrous confirmation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as head of the HHS and the broader failure of medical and political leaders to confront misinformation.    They highlight how figures like Adam Sifu, Jeffrey Flier, and Stanford President Jonathan Levin failed to challenge the growing anti-science movement, normalizing dangerous narratives that have now ta...

In this episode of We Want Them Infected, Dr. Jonathan Howard and Wendy Orent discuss the catastrophic turn of events in public health and science policy under the Trump administration.    RFK Jr. is poised to take control of the U.S. Health Department, the NIH has been gutted, and the CDC is actively censoring critical data. They examine how misinformation doctors like Vinay Prasad and Jay Bhatta...