Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Computers and social media Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

“Censorship!”: The common bogus complaint of science deniers

Once more, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. cries “Censorship!” over efforts to counter COVID-19 and antivaccine disinformation. Hilarity ensues.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery

Dr. Carrie Madej: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are transhumanism!

There’s a new quack in town. Dr. Carrie Madej is making waves with the message that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are “transhumanism.” Too bad she fails Biology 101 in her fevered ramblings.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

It’s September. That must mean it’s time for fear mongering about the flu vaccine.

September is the time for antivaccine fear mongering about the flu vaccine, this time with a hint of COVID-19 pseudoscience.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Cancer Politics

Sen. José Peralta definitely did not die because of the flu vaccine

New York State Senator José Peralta died after a brief illness in November, and antivaxers blamed the flu vaccine. Later, it was learned that Sen. Peralta died of sepsis, leading to claims that the flu vaccine predisposed him to sepsis. Now the autopsy report is out, and we know why Sen Peralta was prone to sepsis or a sepsis-like syndrome. Hint: It had nothing to do with the flu vaccine.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Last year was the worst season for influenza mortality in decades

Barbara Loe Fisher, Joe Mercola, and other antivaxers frequently deny that the flu is dangerous and that all the promotion of flu vaccines every year is a plot by big pharma to make money based on fear. The CDC argues otherwise, reporting that influenza mortality last season was higher than iit’s been in decades. Roughly 80,000 people are estimated to have died last season from influenza or complications from the flu.