MSSNY PULSE

Vaccines, Trust, and Responsibility

Friday, July 10, 2026

Vaccines, Trust, and Responsibility

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Colleagues:

Few medical advances have done more to improve human health than vaccination. Across generations, vaccines have reduced suffering, prevented disability, and saved countless lives. Diseases that once routinely killed or disabled children and adults, such as polio, measles, diphtheria, and many others were dramatically reduced through widespread immunization. Diseases that once filled hospital wards and permanently altered families became uncommon not through chance, but through scientific discovery, physician leadership, and public trust. Yet in recent years this trust has been shaken, in part due to the recent pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the relationship between medicine, public messaging, and public confidence. Scientific discussions moved from medical journals and professional meetings into daily headlines, social media feeds, political debates, and statements made by leaders in organized medicine and public health officials.

Some of the public messaging surrounding COVID-19 created expectations that medicine could not consistently fulfill. Patients were not simply exposed to more information; they were exposed to contradiction and misinformation. Many will remember hearing statements that if they received the vaccine, they would not contract COVID-19 and would not transmit it to others. Many also remember hearing messages that framed vaccination as essentially risk-free and broadly appropriate for everyone.

Those messages created expectations that proved difficult to sustain.

Every medical intervention carries some degree of risk, and vaccines are no exception. The overwhelming experience with the Covid-19 vaccination remains favorable for most patients, but adverse events, including myocarditis, pericarditis, allergic reactions, and other uncommon complications have been identified.

When people were told something that sounded definitive and later experienced breakthrough infections, saw vaccinated individuals transmit infection, or saw or experienced an adverse event, some felt that they had been misled and lost confidence not only with the Covid-19 vaccine, but with vaccines in general.

The loss of confidence continues today and the debate surrounding vaccination has recently intensified. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has challenged various aspects of vaccine oversight and public health decision-making. Kennedy and the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, attempted to reduce routinely recommended childhood vaccinations from 17 to 11, without any new evidence-based information. Universal recommendations for vaccines like the flu, rotavirus, and hepatitis A and B were downgraded, suggesting they only be given to high-risk groups or after consulting a doctor. Conflicting reports of vaccine safety and necessity have emerged, further eroding public confidence.

As physicians and scientists, we should welcome scrutiny and continuously evaluate evidence.

But there is an important distinction between healthy scientific inquiry and creating the perception that established evidence-based medicine is uncertain or unreliable. When that line becomes blurred, the public may conclude that expertise itself cannot be trusted. When errant and potentially harmful medical practices, including to some extent the Covid-19 vaccine, are discovered or suggested, we must urgently and openly recognize and address the concerns.

Vaccination remains one of the safest and most effective preventive tools available in medicine. That does not mean every question is inappropriate or every concern should be rejected. The public deserves thoughtful discussion, individualized recommendations, and honest communication. But restoring public confidence requires physicians to communicate honestly, acknowledge uncertainty when appropriate, and reaffirm evidence-based medicine.

This is where organized medicine can play an essential role.

The Medical Society of the State of New York has long supported physician-led care and evidence-based public health policies because our obligation remains unchanged: to advocate for what best serves patients. That responsibility extends beyond legislation and policy debates. At a time when information is abundant, but trust is reserved, physicians remain uniquely positioned to bridge the divide between scientific evidence and public understanding.

Our responsibility is not to suppress questioning or stop skepticism. It is to explain evidence honestly, acknowledge limitations openly, and communicate recommendations with both confidence and humility. If we remain committed to these principles, we will not only strengthen confidence in vaccination, but we will also strengthen confidence in the practice of modern medicine and recover some of the lost trust that we have recently experienced.

All the best,

Mark J. Adams, MD, MBA, FACR
MSSNY President

MultiPlan Litigation Update June 2026

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MSSNY is a plaintiff in the In re MultiPlan Health Insurance Provider Litigation, a federal antitrust case alleging that MultiPlan and major health insurers colluded to suppress out-of-network reimbursement rates paid to physicians and other providers. MSSNY is seeking an immediate end to this anti-competitive conduct.

On June 24, Judge Kennelly denied the defendants’ motion to amend their pleadings to assert an “unclean hands” defense. The defendants sought to allege that improper billing practices by the plaintiffs inflated the reimbursement amounts they bill to the payors, and that the plaintiffs are barred from bringing antitrust claims as a result. Judge Kennelly rejected the defendants’ request, ruling that defenses like “unclean hands” can’t be used to hinder enforcement of federal antitrust law.

At the June 26 case management conference, Judge Kennelly granted a motion by several bellwether plaintiffs to name additional alleged co-conspirators as defendants. The parties and Judge Kennelly also discussed the ongoing exchange of evidence from the defendants and scheduling orders for upcoming deadlines, source code production, and trial dates.

The case remains in active discovery, with the 36 bellwether plaintiffs continuing to have their cases worked up for trial. However, any member who wants to file a case still can do so. Members who believe they’ve been impacted by MultiPlan’s practices are encouraged to reach out to an attorney.

Remembering Gerald “Jerry” Hoffman

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Organized medicine is strengthened not only by physicians, but also by dedicated leaders who devote their careers to supporting the profession. MSSNY joins the Onondaga County Medical Society in mourning the loss of Gerald “Jerry” Hoffman, whose decades of service left an enduring mark on physicians throughout Central New York and across the state.

Jerry served as Executive Director of the Onondaga County Medical Society from 1981 until his retirement in 2014. During more than three decades of leadership, he became a trusted advocate for physicians, helping advance organized medicine while navigating critical issues affecting medical practice and patient care.

Beyond his local leadership, Jerry helped strengthen collaboration among county and specialty medical societies throughout New York. He co-founded the New York State County and Specialty Societies Conference and remained actively involved in advancing physician advocacy and medical society leadership for many years. His commitment was recognized in 2013 when he became the first non-physician to receive the Onondaga County Medical Society’s Distinguished Service Award, the organization’s highest honor.

Jerry’s legacy reminds us that organized medicine is built through collaboration among physicians, county medical societies, and dedicated professionals who work behind the scenes to amplify the voice of medicine.

MSSNY extends its heartfelt condolences to Jerry’s family, friends, and our colleagues at the Onondaga County Medical Society. We are grateful for his lifelong commitment to organized medicine and the lasting impact he made on New York physicians and the communities they serve.

Today’s obituary: Gerald ‘Jerry’ Hoffman, 90, began working in Syracuse radio as a child (Syracuse, 7/1).

IMG Symposium 2026: Lead Forward

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IMG Symposium 2026 will bring physicians, trainees, and healthcare leaders together on July 13 at Albert Einstein College of Medicine for an evening focused on IMGs as leaders in a transforming healthcare system.

The program includes networking, poster presentations, residency and match guidance, a Match Preparation Playbook, Q&A sessions, awards, and leadership perspectives from experienced physicians and healthcare executives.

Connect, learn, and strengthen your path forward. Register

MSSNY Healthcare Disparities Committee Recognizes MLMIC’s Continued Support

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Drs. Vilma Joseph and Adolph Meyer of the MSSNY Healthcare Disparities Committee would like to thank Mr. Michael Schoppmann, Dr. John Lombardo, and MLMIC for their continued support in eliminating healthcare disparities through their generous donations to educate physicians and the medical community; and for their support for organized medicine at the local level with the Westchester Bronx Society of Black Physicians and the Anesthesia Section of the National Medical Association.

MSSNY Member Recognized as Suffolk County Healthcare Hero

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Physician leadership continues to make a meaningful difference both inside and outside the clinical setting. MSSNY proudly congratulates member Dr. Camile A. Gooden-Bost, who has been recognized by Suffolk County Legislator Rebecca Sanin as District 16’s 2026 Healthcare Hero for her exceptional commitment to advancing health equity, improving patient outcomes, and expanding access to quality healthcare throughout Suffolk County.

A MSSNY member since 2020 and Secretary of the Suffolk County Medical Society, Dr. Gooden-Bost has dedicated more than a decade to caring for patients while championing initiatives that improve healthcare quality and access. As Physician Advisor at NYU Langone Hospital–Suffolk, she helps lead quality improvement efforts and co-chairs the hospital’s Health Equity Subcommittee, working to ensure all patients receive high-quality, equitable care.

Her leadership extends across organized medicine and public service. Dr. Gooden-Bost serves as Suffolk District Councilor-at-Large for the New York Chapter of the American College of Physicians, where she chairs the Health Equity Task Force and serves on the Suffolk County Legislature’s Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Task Force, collaborating with healthcare leaders and policymakers to improve maternal health outcomes across the region.

Among her many community initiatives is the annual “Her Health, Her Story, Her Power” program, which raises awareness of healthcare disparities affecting women and underserved communities while connecting residents with education and resources.

Dr. Gooden-Bost’s recognition highlights the important role physicians play as clinicians, educators, advocates, and community leaders. Her work reflects the values of organized medicine and demonstrates how physician leadership can improve the health of entire communities.

MSSNY is proud to recognize members like Dr. Gooden-Bost, whose dedication strengthens patient care, advances health equity, and inspires colleagues across New York. Her achievements exemplify the impact physicians can have when they lead both within their practices and throughout their communities.

Dr. Camile Gooden-Bost honored as District 16 Healthcare Hero (TBR Newsroom, 6/28)