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Antivaccine nonsense Pseudoscience Quackery

“Vaccine Awareness Week,” misinformed consent, and, of course, Nazis and eugenics

Orac is back, and what does he encounter upon his return? Barbara Loe Fisher, founder of the Orwellian-named antivaccine propaganda organization, the National Vaccine Information Center, pontificating about “informed consent” and vaccines. What she really means is misinformed consent to refuse vaccines, as in consent based on misinformation, pseudoscience, and fear mongering about vaccines. Naturally, she can’t resist bringing in Nazis as well.

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Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

John Weeks accuses Orac of having "blood on his hands" for criticizing the Samuelis’ $200 million gift to UC-Irvine. Orac responds.

Like many advocates of science-based medicine, I was dismayed at the $200 million gift given by Susan and Henry Samueli to the University of California, Irvine in order to vastly expand its integrative medicine offerings. John Weeks, a noted promoter of integrative medicine, was not pleased at how the mainstream press covered this gift, and in particular he was most displeased that skeptics were heavily quoted in the reporting. In response, he launched a spittle-flecked, spelling-challenged broadside against his perceived enemies, full of misinformation and logical fallacies. Naturally, Orac can’t resist applying some not-so-Respectful Insolence to it.

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Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Politics Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Pharma hit squads vs. “holistic healers”: The resurrection

Although it’s not uncommon for there to be conspiracy theories about police shootings, it is unusual for such a conspiracy theory to touch upon topics covered right here on this blog. Sadly, it’s happened in the wake of the police shooting of Justine Damond in Minneapolis.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

The Somali measles outbreak in Minnesota: Thanks again, Andy (and American antivaxers), for the measles

Antivaxers targeted a. vulnerable community of Somali immigrants in Minnesota. The result: A large (and growing) measles outbreak. Thanks, Andy.

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Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

It’s full steam ahead for cancer quack Stanislaw Burzynski

Since being given a slap on the wrist by the Texas Medical Board for his many years of peddling his antineoplastons, a treatment that’s never been shown to have significant anticancer activity, Stanislaw Burzynski is back in action again, preying on desperate cancer patients like it’s 1999.