Vaccine denial sets Americans up for more chronic illness

Photo of woman lying in bed with an arm resting on her forehead.

For most of modern medical history, scientists have framed infectious disease as having two possible outcomes: recovery or death. You either get better, or you do not survive. But this binary has never fully captured reality.

For a substantial number of people, illness does not simply end — it lingers, reshaping and even permanently altering their life trajectories.