If you look at the fact, the big controversy was that the study participants were given zero treatment, while their doctors were telling them at they were being treated. At the time the study began, this was barely reasonable, because there were some strong indication that syphilis treatments caused more harm than good and the doctors wanted to measure it.

Ten years later, when penicilin had been long confirmed to be effective against syphillis, this was beyond monstrous.

But still, I don't think this is a reasonable argument against vaccination. The black people in the experiments weren't being injected mystery substances. The core of the scandals is that they were given placebos without their consent. I don't see how one could reasonably look at this and say "Okay, I'm never going to accept a vaccine ever". You're basically forcing yourself into the same experiment the government put these people in.

If you wish to narrowly interpret this as purely 'they didn't give treatment when they could', that's one way of looking at it - but obviously anyone who is refusing a vaccine because of it is looking at this instead as I cannot trust a word these people say about the medical treatments they are giving me, because if for a moment they thought they could benefit at my expense in so doing, they have historically demonstrated that they will.

Very much not true in general

> There are early episodes in which radioactive fallout is dismissed as not a major health concern, as something that could be handled very easily. A thorough head-to-foot examination will reveal any accumulation of radioactive material. Vigorous sweeping with a broom removes contaminated dust and dirt from shoes and clothing.

Note that this is many years after Hiroshima.

https://www.matconlist.com/2019/01/the-atomic-veterans-deser...