Illness Is Not a Personal Failure

The idea that our health is entirely in our own hands has been around for centuries, but its implications are far more damaging than we might initially think. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent comments implying that those who suffer severe consequences from measles have only themselves to blame are just the latest manifestation of this problem.

This line of thinking is not new; it’s a thread that runs through the history of medicine, often masquerading as wisdom. In 18th-century London and Boston, variolation – an early form of vaccination – was practiced with varying degrees of success. While this proto-vaccination technique was far from risk-free, its efficacy rested on the notion that those who took the risk were morally superior to those who didn’t.

During a smallpox outbreak in London, Reverend Edmond Massey preached that smallpox was God’s way of forcing sinners to examine themselves for what cause this evil is come upon them. This view sees disease as a moral failing, requiring repentance and penitence for recovery. Such medicine has had its fair share of casualties.

Walt Whitman’s 1858 series on “Manly Health and Training” offered a mix of idiosyncratic advice and the notion that health was a matter of personal choice. Good habits, he claimed, could ward off disease. Henry Lindlahr, a prominent naturopathic writer in the early 20th century, took this idea further, suggesting that vaccinations were not only unnecessary but also harmful.

This line of thinking has led to an assault on public health, as exemplified by Kennedy’s anti-vaccine crusade. The notion that our health is solely within our control is a seductive illusion, offering the promise that we are captains of our fate. However, it’s an illusion nonetheless – no amount of positive thinking or healthy eating can keep an illness from doing potentially lethal harm.

Personal habits do have some bearing on our health; a balanced diet and regular exercise contribute to overall well-being. But they are just one piece of the puzzle. The reality is that many illnesses are beyond our control, despite what we might wish or believe. Smallpox, measles, and other infectious diseases are not moral failing incarnate; they are simply a matter of bad luck.

We must remember this when discussing public health policy and vaccine efficacy. We should avoid blaming those who suffer severe consequences for not following the “right” habits. Instead, we should focus on providing accessible healthcare, educating the public about the realities of infectious diseases, and supporting scientific research that helps us better understand these illnesses.

The stakes are too high to indulge in such a simplistic worldview. As long as we continue to blame those who fall ill for their own fate, we risk perpetuating a pattern of behavior that can have devastating consequences. It’s time to move beyond the notion that our health is solely within our control and start treating illness with the nuance and compassion it deserves.