Topic: Medical Art

Art Kaplan of the NYU Division of Medical Ethics argues that it is ethically permissible for doctors to refuse treatment to unvaccinated patients to protect staff and other patients. The hosts compare this stance to historical medical discrimination and express concern that the healthcare system is abandoning its fundamental duty to treat the sick.

The hosts reflect on reusing artwork from episode 120, which originally aired during the 2009 Swine Flu outbreak. They note the cyclical nature of public health scares and how the same themes of "scam-demics" and rushed vaccines have recurred over the show's history. The longevity of the podcast allows for direct comparisons between past and present media narratives.