I believe the entire thrust of this article is that the noble lie to achieve policy objectives backfires in spectacular and predictable ways, because it erodes

I believe the entire thrust of this article is that the noble lie to achieve policy objectives backfires in spectacular and predictable ways, because it erodes trust in the statements made by officials and experts. Regardless of where your sympathy lies, perhaps it would be good to engage with the substance of the article. The more lying engaged in by public officials, the more ridiculous the anti-vax crowd will become, precisely because for the majority - lacking the medical expertise to judge vaccine safety - their beliefs are an expression of their trust in the government and experts at large. If not lying isn't cutting it, you may just have to accept that sometimes policy objectives aren't achievable, given the constraints of human decency. Even when failing to achieve those objectives costs lives.