What happened in #Foligno is serious and deserves to be told. The local representatives of #Vannacci contested my invitation to talk about antibiotic resistance, which I will do this evening during the event "The First in Health." We are not talking about politics. We are talking about medicine, research, and public health, and one of the most important health emergencies of our times. I am a scientist who has been engaged in international research for decades, with an h-index of 130, thousands of publications and scientific studies. If someone wants to contest what I say, they are absolutely free to do so: come discuss, bring data, studies, arguments. This is how science works. Instead, according to what I have been told, my fault would be having been in favor of vaccines during the pandemic. But evidently, someone knows very little about my positions. On closures, for example, I have been among the most critical voices from the beginning and one of the few to openly oppose generalized lockdowns. So before attacking, it would be useful to study. I am particularly sorry that a political force that wants to represent the Italian right could think of gaining consensus by winking at the most radically no-vax and conspiracy-minded part of the electorate, even going so far as to question the participation of a doctor and researcher at a meeting on science. Science does not need permission from parties. And it is not afraid of uncomfortable questions. It needs data, debate, and the freedom to discuss. For this reason, I hope it was an initiative from the Foligno committee of Futuro Nazionale and does not represent Vannacci's position. Because otherwise, the question becomes inevitable: why be afraid of confronting a scientist? If you have arguments, you discuss. If you do not have arguments, you try to prevent the other from speaking. I will, however, talk about antibiotic resistance in Foligno and invite Vannacci's followers to participate because they will learn something on such a delicate topic. And I will continue to talk about science, data, and public health, regardless of who feels disturbed. (translated)
