Categories
Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

Another antivaccine-sympathetic pediatrician “reassures” his patients about the southern California measles outbreak

As hard as it is to believe, I’ve actually “known” pediatrician to the antivaccine stars (such as Jenny McCarthy), “Dr. Jay” Gordon, for nearly nine years now. It began back in 2005 when I first noticed him writing blogs full of antivaccine nonsense at the then-new group blog, The Huffington Post, where I noted antivaccine […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Politics Skepticism/critical thinking

The antivaccine movement resurrects the zombie that is the “autism epidemic” (2014 edition)

As I just mentioned a week ago, there used to be a time when I dreaded Autism Awareness Month, which begins tomorrow. The reason was simple. Several years ago to perhaps as recently as three years ago, I could always count on a flurry of stories about autism towards the end of March and the […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Naturopathy Politics Quackery Religion Skepticism/critical thinking

California children betrayed: Governor Jerry Brown and the neutering of a law designed to make vaccine exemptions harder to get

About a year ago, I became aware of the latest celebrity antivaccinationist with a penchant for saying truly stupid things and thus making an even bigger fool of himself than he usually does. I’m referring to Rob “makin’ copies” Schneider, who most recently has been making waves for narrating a misinformation-packed “viral” video about the […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Quackery

A homeopath and Dr. Jay will teach you about vaccines—and, no doubt, autism

Remember Dr. Jay? Regular readers know about whom I speak. I’m talking about Dr. Jay Gordon, pediatrician to the stars’ children. Dr. Jay has been a fixture on this blog on and off for seven years, first having popped in as a commenter way back on Respectful Insolence, Mark 1, when I first noted him […]

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bioethics Medicine

Suspicion of vaccines among those who should know better

I realize I repeat this a lot, but it bears repeating a lot. Vaccines are, without a doubt, one of the greatest advances in health care devised by the human mind. Arguably, vaccination campaigns have saved more lives and prevented more suffering and death than pretty much any other medical preventative intervention ever invented. I […]