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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Andrew Wakefield spews nonsense about how the COVID-19 vaccine will “permanently alter your DNA”

Andrew Wakefield’s back, and—surprise! surprise!—he’s a COVID-19 conspiracy theorist who doesn’t understand biology. He thinks RNA vaccines are “genetic engineering” that will “permanently alter your DNA.”

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Anti-Semitism Antivaccine nonsense History Holocaust Holocaust denial Medicine

Holocaust misappropriation by antivaxxers: A form of Holocaust denial

Antivaxxers have long misappropriated symbols of the Holocaust, such as the Yellow Star of David, to liken their “persecution” to the real persecution of the Jews by the Nazis. This misappropriation of the Holocaust is arguably a form of Holocaust denial.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Politics

The Great Barrington Declaration strikes back

A month after a BMJ article linking the Great Barrington Declaration to the right wing think tank AIER, the two are attacking the authors of the BMJ piece and denying any payment or even connection. Why?

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

No, the rush for a COVID-19 vaccine is not turning provaccine advocates into antivaxxers

There is already widespread distrust of a COVID-19 vaccine, even before a vaccine is approved. Contrary to claims from antivaxxers, that doesn’t mean provaxxers are becoming antivax.

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Antivaccine nonsense Biology Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

Cries the antivaxxer: “Vegans, don’t take a COVID-19 vaccine because it uses horseshoe crab blood!”

Antivaxxers are now urging vegans not to use a COVID-19 vaccine because blood from horseshoe crabs will be used in its manufacture. This is no different than their weaponization of beliefs against other vaccine ingredients.