The chapter explores the speaker's involvement with the CDC's vaccine safety working group and their dismissal for advocating Johnson and Johnson vaccine use among older Americans to combat shortages. It discusses differing opinions on vaccine distribution, the efficacy and side effects of various COVID-19 vaccines, and the impact on public trust. The conversation also addresses excess mortality during the pandemic, evaluating different countries' strategies and the speaker's career impact from advocating against authoritarianism and defending academic freedom.