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Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

Mercury and autism: RFK Jr. drops another stinky one on the blogosphere

I had wanted to let this cup pass, but couldn’t, not after several readers e-mailed it to me and I went and experienced its inanity first hand. As Michael Corleone said in The Godfather, Part III: “Just when I thought I was finally out, they drag me back in again!” In this case, it was […]

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Antivaccine nonsense Politics Pseudoscience

Amusing factionalism in the MAHA universe

Even as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. prepares to face confirmation hearings today, there has been amusing trouble in “make America healthy” paradise. Will it derail RFK Jr.’s bid to become HHS Secretary?

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

Donald Trump and the return of the antivax “monster shot”

Donald Trump called Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to try to gain his support. During the call, he repeated antivax tropes that he’s been repeating since 2007. A second Trump administration would be a public health disaster.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine

The mechanism for menstrual irregularities after COVID vaccination? Not really.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s running mate Nicole Shanahan posted a link to a bad study “explaining” menstrual issues caused by COVID vaccines. It’s an in vitro study that explains almost nothing. It’s basically the scientific equivalent of clickbait.

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Antivaccine nonsense Clinical trials

“No saline placebo-controlled vaccine trials”: An old antivax trope

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has resurrected the antivax claim that the childhood vaccine schedule has never been tested in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with a saline placebo controls (and therefore the vaccine schedule is unsafe). This is an old and deceptive antivax half-truth that ignores both what constitutes a scientifically valid placebo and the ethical requirements for RCTs.