Dr. Carroll explained that those hesitant to get jabbed have heard stories about reactions to the 2nd shot or about "the occasional rare severe reaction." That explains why some people are suspicious and more careful.

"Reactions do occur, but the severe reactions are exceedingly rare, and with such a deadly and serious virus, the benefit of the vaccine far outweigh the risk of it. We are already seeing that the vaccinated in the US who are exposed and contract the Delta variant are far less likely to require hospitalization. That is exactly what vaccines are meant to do. It's doing its job, and it's doing it well," the doctor told Bored Panda that there are more upsides than downsides to getting vaccinated.

According to Dr. Carroll, some groups use (and actively spread) the misinformation and conspiracy theories to consolidate their power and for financial gain. "I believe there's a great deal of misinformation out there, perpetuated by echo chambers, or interest groups, on social media. If you associate with the people who confirm your beliefs, then you're more likely to not be willing to take in new information that might change your mind," he said.

"There are groups, primarily political groups, which take advantage of this and continue to echo their message. This is in order to maintain power. It is not in the interest of improving their health or getting rid of the pandemic. It is in the hopes of maintaining their vote. The anti-vaxxers have found their strength amongst the skeptical, and rather than accept that science has a better way, they continue to push their antiscience/antivaccine message in hopes that you will continue to listen to them, attend their conferences, by their books, watch their shows, and purchase their alternative medicine."

The doctor also commented on the current situation regarding the pandemic in his local area. "Of course, school is in session (the school district around me has been in session for 2 weeks now), and we're seeing a rapid spread of the virus amongst school children. Arizona has the second-highest rate of deaths among children 17 and under, and yet we are the 14th most populous state. Only Texas has had more deaths," he shared the bad news.

"This is very concerning and reflects the disparities in healthcare, as well as the problems with not requiring schoolchildren to mask up while in school. We also would like to see more uptake of the vaccine in the 12 years and older group."

French President Emmanuel Macron has pushed through the vaccine passport to help stem the spread of Covid. The health passport has finally been implemented in France despite the country having just finished up its fourth weekend of protests against the idea. Vaccine skeptics believe that it’s infringing on their freedom, though the constitutional council upheld the legality of most of the new measures proposed by the French government.

Across the Atlantic, in the US, rightwing TV and radio host Dick Farrel died after getting coronavirus. The Guardian reports that Farrel was a big critic of Dr. Anthony Fauci (whom he called a “power-tripping lying freak”) and urged his listeners not to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

As much as we like to think that we’re all unique and that we’re facing unique problems, this isn’t really the case. History might not repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme a lot. Conspiracy theories have been around forever and Covid/mask/anti-vax ones are just the latest batch. However, currently, things are getting worse with the proliferation of various conspiracy theories.

Lee McIntyre, from Boston University, told Bored Panda during an earlier interview that conspiracy theories have been around since the time of Nero in the Roman Empire. “They pop up in times of turmoil or mass unrest when people try to make sense of the world, but can’t,” he said.

“They [conspiracy theories] have all grown in popularity because beliefs (even fringe beliefs) are reinforced by peer approval, and that is now readily available on the internet. Virtually all of the flat earthers I met were converted based on Youtube videos. Some then went to the conferences. After that, they were ‘down the rabbit hole,’” Lee explained that the internet and echo chambers help reinforce conspiracies like the Flat Earth theory and others.

“It’s important to remember that these pathologies of human reasoning exist not just to defend themselves but to proselytize new members. They are virulent. They are infectious. I wish Flat Earth were the worst of them, but it isn’t. It’s the scourge of our age. And it will only continue to get worse,” the expert warned Bored Panda.