About this quote

This reflects an old distrust of medical interventions that feel unnatural or impure, and a faith that clean living alone can hold disease off. The claim, though, runs flatly against overwhelming evidence: vaccines are safe and have saved countless lives, so a gut reaction is no substitute for the data.

When to use it

• Feeling uneasy about a new medicine, then reading the actual trial results before deciding.
• A parent worried by a rumor online who asks a trusted doctor what the evidence really shows.
• Someone who prefers natural remedies still accepting a proven treatment when the stakes are high.