I don’t see any way that money gets taken out of the equation, and so I don’t see any way that scientists suddenly become moral paragons. As you indicate, self-interest will always come into play.
The only “solution” I can see is to stop with the ridiculous “follow the science” junk. And the idea that something is “settled science”. This is a bad use of language if we’re talking about COVID, or Climate Change, or, frankly, Evolution.
There’s a guy in a lab coat. And he has an opinion. Fine. He can have an opinion. Well, I’m a schlub sitting at home, and I have an opinion too. And I should not be shouted down just because he has a lab coat and I do not.
We need to stop treating scientists and doctors as if they were “special” and infallible. They clearly are not.
It’s now evident that “scientists, doctors, etc” have a long history of being bought for their “opinions & research findings”.
They are as honorable as a typical politician.