Yes — there are some fairly safe ways to (carefully, scientifically) consume milk that has not been pasteurized — that is true. But this, in and of itself, requires a very clear under- standing of the bio-science behind why we do almost universally pasteurize milk.

And frankly, my central concern here is that if these are the low information Americans that (got fleeced by, and) voted for Tangerine (twice, now!) — they aren’t particularly likely to be capable of understanding, let alone… of critically investigating the science — and designing all the pro-active, precise steps required… to make so-called “raw” milk safe for kids to consume in the home. If nothing else, one must be absolutely certain that every link in their personal supply chain (unless this is a single-family farm, run exclusively and directly by family members versed in bio-science, for their kids and themselves) is doing it exactly right — every time.

Otherwise, there is a fairly strong chance that the kids will at a minimum suffer stomach ailments, or worse — get a very dangerous bacterial infection — and need says or weeks of hospitalization. So — for a small segment of very well-educated people, raw milk locally sourced, may offer some rather modest natural immunity boost.

But for the vast bulk of people who’ve simply bought into the anti-vax nonsense (because they are prone to believing everything other Trumpers say, or a general lack of curiosity — and affinity for vague conspiracy theories) — this is a real and present danger, from a public health standpoint. One Mr. Kennedy is likely to exacerbate, if he’s granted a hearing and confirmed. Let’s listen in to Prof. Devi Sridhar, the chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland — a highly regarded science expert on it all, via this morning’s UK Guardian:

…Similarly, [Mr. Kennedy] has tweeted about the benefits of raw milk, which has become a bizarre MAGA talking point generally. Raw milk consumption is a risk factor for a number of dangerous illnesses from E coli to salmonella, but is even more worrying with the widespread infection of dairy herds in the US. While pasteurisation has been shown to kill the H5N1 virus in milk and prevent its ability to infect, raw milk obviously retains all the original pathogens.

This year, 24 cats who drank raw milk on a farm become infected by avian flu; 12 died and 12 suffered from blindness, difficulty breathing and other serious health problems. This is when we need federal agencies to regulate what is being sold to the public and ensure clear communication of the health risks.

Instead, raw milk demand has gone up, with some vendors claiming that “customers [are] asking for H5N1 milk because they want immunity from it”. (There’s a certain irony in the logic behind vaccination – training our immune system in how to respond to a pathogen – being used in this situation)….

So it is, in many areas of our life-times — we are wildly lucky to be alive, in an era of great advances in the sciences, generally. But as the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink.

The idea that real science may need to effort “PSAs” — to keep low information Americans safe — from their own (possible future) Secretary of Health (and counter his own mis-information!)… in 2024 and beyond… is just gob-smacking. Onward, just the same on a warm gray rainy Monday morning here — to the steel and glass canyons.

नमस्ते