The Origins of Disbelief in Science & Healthcare
- Joshua Powell
- Jun 2
- 7 min read
On December 8, 2020, Dr. Pierre Kory walked into Room 342 of the Hart Senate Office Building to deliver testimony that would fundamentally alter the landscape of American health misinformation. As he faced the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Kory carried with him the conviction of a small network of doctors and entrepreneurs who believed they had discovered suppressed cures for COVID-19.
"There is a drug that is proving to be a miraculous impact," Kory told the senators, his voice rising with conviction. "And when I say miracle, I do not use that term lightly."
The video of Kory's testimony went viral within days, viewed over one million times. But the real impact wouldn't be measured in views—it would be measured in how this moment crystallized a network of health misinformation spreaders who had been building parallel medical institutions on a newsletter platform called Substack.*
The story of how fringe newsletter writers became influential voices in health policy begins with a figure who goes by the name "The Vigilant Fox."
The Fox describes himself as a "pro-freedom citizen journalist with 12 years of healthcare experience" who became active after being "deeply disturbed by COVID measures, mandates, and medical discrimination." By 2022, he had built a content empire with hundreds of thousands of subscribers that served as a central hub for medical misinformation.
The Fox's true power lies not in original reporting, but in his role as curator and validator of an entire ecosystem of health conspiracy theorists. His recommendations page reads like a directory of prominent vaccine skeptics and alternative medicine promoters, each endorsed with glowing testimonials that lend credibility to figures who might otherwise struggle to find mainstream audiences.
"The Vigilant Fox has been putting in a lot of work to create a news platform that shares the stories we want to hear about," wrote one of his most important validators, an anonymous figure known as "A Midwestern Doctor." These circular endorsements—the Fox promoting the Midwestern Doctor, who in turn validates the Fox—create what appears to be independent confirmation of shared narratives.
The Fox's most consequential connection is to Steve Kirsch, a tech entrepreneur who made hundreds of millions of dollars founding the early search engine Infoseek and helping invent the optical computer mouse. Kirsch's transformation from legitimate pandemic response funder to prominent vaccine skeptic illustrates how the network operates.
In April 2020, Kirsch founded the COVID-19 Early Treatment Fund with seemingly good intentions, donating $1 million of his own money and raising $5 million more to research repurposed drugs for COVID-19 treatment. His scientific advisory board included prominent biologists and drug researchers, described by MIT Technology Review as "a powerhouse board."
But by May 2021, all 12 members of Kirsch's advisory board had resigned. According to MIT Technology Review, they cited his "alarming dangerous claims and erratic behavior." Rather than moderating his positions, Kirsch doubled down, founding the Vaccine Safety Research Foundation in October 2021 and transforming his considerable wealth into funding for vaccine misinformation efforts.
The Vigilant Fox immediately recognized Kirsch's value to the network. In his recommendations, he calls Kirsch "Substack's greatest spreader of 'misinformation'"—a label that Kirsch has embraced rather than rejected. Kirsch's Substack newsletter now boasts over 260,000 subscribers and serves as a platform for claims that health authorities have labeled dangerous misinformation.
According to Science Feedback and FactCheck.org, Kirsch has promoted claims that "COVID vaccines have killed millions of people worldwide" and that vaccines cause more deaths than they prevent—statements that health officials say misinterpret data and lack scientific evidence.
The network's medical credibility comes primarily from Dr. William Makis, a Canadian physician who presents himself as having "expertise in Radiology, Oncology and Immunology." Makis built his following of over 115,000 subscribers by promoting what he calls "turbo cancer"—the unfounded theory that COVID-19 vaccines cause aggressive, fast-growing cancers.
According to Science-Based Medicine, Makis "frequently misrepresents himself as an 'oncologist'" when he's actually a nuclear medicine radiologist. His newsletter promotes testimonials about cancer patients allegedly cured with ivermectin and fenbendazole—veterinary dewormers—instead of conventional cancer treatment.
FactCheck.org specifically tracks Makis's claims, noting his promotion of "unfounded claims" about vaccine deaths despite evidence that "COVID-19 vaccination is generally very safe, and except for extremely rare cases, there is no evidence that it contributes to death."
The network's most sophisticated operator may be Jessica Rose, who uses her PhD in Computational Biology to provide apparent scientific rigor to vaccine misinformation. Rose has positioned herself as a leading interpreter of VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System) data within the conspiracy community.
Health experts note that Rose's work involves cherry-picking data from VAERS—a system designed to detect potential safety signals, not establish causation—to support predetermined conclusions about vaccine dangers. She has co-authored papers with other prominent misinformation spreaders, including studies that were later withdrawn from publication.
The anonymous figure known as "A Midwestern Doctor" operates "The Forgotten Side of Medicine" for hundreds of thousands of subscribers, claiming to expose "pharmaceutical corruption and remarkable therapies lost to time for the health of humanity." The anonymity allows the author to make controversial claims without professional accountability while creating an air of mystery that enhances credibility among conspiracy-minded audiences.
The medical establishment wing of the network centers around the Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), co-founded by Kory and Dr. Paul Marik. Both physicians had legitimate medical careers before becoming prominent promoters of unproven COVID-19 treatments.
Kory became the public face of ivermectin promotion after his December 2020 Senate testimony where he called the antiparasitic drug "miraculous" and a "wonder drug" against COVID-19. Despite major health institutions warning against ivermectin use for COVID-19, Kory continued promoting it through the FLCCC and his Substack newsletter.
According to Wikipedia, in August 2023, the American Board of Internal Medicine informed Kory that his board certifications were being revoked for "spreading false or inaccurate medical information." He now operates outside mainstream medicine, charging $1,250-$1,650 for telehealth consultations through what he calls his "Leading Edge clinic."
Marik built his reputation on controversial vitamin C research, particularly a 2017 study claiming that high-dose vitamin C could dramatically reduce sepsis mortality. However, multiple large-scale trials have since failed to replicate his results, with studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finding no benefit from his protocol.
According to The Washington Post, both Kory and Marik now market supplement cocktails that could cost over $500, having successfully monetized their transformation from mainstream physicians to medical rebels.
What makes this network uniquely effective is their coordinated strategy to create the appearance of scientific consensus through mutual validation. The Vigilant Fox promotes Makis's "turbo cancer" claims while A Midwestern Doctor provides analysis of pharmaceutical corruption. Rose's VAERS interpretations are endorsed by Kirsch's platform, while the FLCCC doctors' protocols are promoted across the entire network.
This creates what appears to be independent confirmation of shared narratives when they are actually participating in coordinated amplification of the same messages. To casual observers, it seems that multiple independent sources are reaching similar conclusions about vaccine dangers and treatment suppression.
The network's content strategy follows predictable patterns: constantly attacking the credibility of institutions like the CDC, FDA, and medical journals as "captured" by pharmaceutical interests, while positioning themselves as persecuted truth-tellers. They misrepresent qualifications to claim authority outside their expertise and use flawed analyses to support predetermined conclusions.
Importantly, they have created profitable business models around misinformation. Kirsch's wealth provides funding, while subscription revenue from hundreds of thousands of followers creates sustainable income. Individual practitioners charge thousands for consultations and sell expensive supplement regimens, demonstrating substantial market demand for anti-establishment health narratives.
The network's political influence became apparent through their connection to Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who hosted Kory's December 2020 hearing. This was the first time their messages reached a national audience through official government channels. Kirsch openly admitted that he max out his contribution to Johnson and encouraged people to do the same.
The real political transformation accelerated when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced his presidential campaign and was later nominated for HHS Secretary. Many of the conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine arguments that Kennedy promotes had been developed and normalized by this Substack network.
When Kennedy discusses "regulatory capture" by pharmaceutical companies, he uses language pioneered by figures like A Midwestern Doctor. When he promotes ivermectin or questions vaccine safety, he draws on arguments developed by the FLCCC alliance and Rose's VAERS interpretations. When he claims that doctors are being silenced for challenging the medical establishment, he builds on narratives perfected by this network.
The network provided more than just talking points—they provided a community of supporters, potential advisors, and a demonstrated model for how to monetize and politically leverage health misinformation. Several network members now have connections to Kennedy's political operation.
The impact of this network extends beyond digital spaces. The normalization of vaccine skepticism has contributed to declining immunization rates. The promotion of unproven treatments has diverted patients from effective care while enriching conspiracy theorists. The systematic undermining of trust in scientific institutions has made evidence-based public health policy increasingly difficult to implement.
Medical licensing boards have attempted to respond by revoking certifications for doctors spreading misinformation, but the decentralized nature of the Substack network and its transformation into political influence have made traditional regulatory approaches less effective.
What this network accomplished represents a significant challenge to how democratic societies approach complex scientific questions. They demonstrated that with sufficient resources, coordination, and determination, it's possible to create alternative scientific narratives that can compete with evidence-based consensus for public attention and political influence.
Their success relied on exploiting legitimate concerns about pharmaceutical industry influence, institutional failures during the pandemic, and the complexity of scientific communication. But rather than working to address these concerns through transparent research and democratic reform, they created parallel institutions designed to promote predetermined conclusions while generating revenue for their founders.
The network's evolution from fringe newsletter authors to politically influential voices illustrates how misinformation campaigns can grow from digital enterprises into movements with real impact on public policy. Their success provides a template for other actors seeking to undermine scientific consensus in areas where evidence conflicts with political or economic interests.
The current situation represents more than just disagreements about health policy—it's about the systematic undermining of scientific integrity that began in subscription newsletters and has now gained significant political influence. Understanding how this network operated and achieved success is essential for protecting both public health and evidence-based governance in an era of sophisticated misinformation campaigns.
*Disclosure: Josh Powell has a Substack newsletter - "The Powell House Press."
Josh Powell is a healthcare writer, consultant, and former CEO of a leading multidisciplinary surgical center in New York. Most recently, he served as Project Manager for Columbia University's NIH-funded HEALing Communities Study, addressing the opioid epidemic through evidence-based interventions.
His book, "AIDS and HIV Related Diseases," published by Hachette Book Group, established him as an authoritative voice in healthcare. Powell's insights have appeared in prestigious publications including Politico and The New England Journal of Medicine. As a recognized expert, he has been featured on major media outlets including CBS, NBC, NPR, and PBS.
Follow Josh on LinkedIn and subscribe to this newsletter.
Comments