It's much more nuanced than that.

Here's the thing: the vast majority of people completely lack critical thinking skills. The authority tells them that this is safe and a vaccine. We have a conceptual model for safe and vaccine, and that vast majority will never question a preexisting conceptual model.

Questioning your conceptual model of the world means admitting that something you knew about it at the most fundamental level is wrong.

That's not something people are capable of.

And so the evil and incompetent authority tells you that the emperor is wearing clothes. That makes sense, everyone wears clothes, why would this be any different? And it's not like you really see the emperor. Maybe catch a glimpse now and then, but it's not like you're face to face with his fat naked ass.

Sure, you've got a bunch of loonies claiming he's naked, but that doesn't make any sense, because people don't generally go around naked pretending they're dressed. And the TV agrees with you. They even showed you a picture where the guy is clearly dressed