Using scant evidence, and what seems in retrospect to be numerology, a small group of prominent vaccinologists convinced President Gerald Ford to immunize the entire nation.

Decision-making for the swine flu program had seven leading features .
To simplify somewhat, they are :
•
Overconfidence by specialists in theories spun from meagre evidence.
•
Conviction fueled by a conjunction of some preexisting personal
agendas.
•
Zeal by health professionals to make their lay superiors do right .
•
Premature commitment to deciding more than had to be decided .
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