In the end, do facts even matter in politically charged discussions?

This sounds a bit like providing evidence for global warming, gun control or evolution. The "skeptics" just want to remain ignorant. No amount of evidence will change them.

The silver lining about vaccine skeptics, though, is the Herman Cain award[1]. What this means is that conservatives die more than liberals from preventable diseases [2].

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Cain_Award

[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-026-02474-9