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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Clinical trials Medicine Politics Popular culture

Can we trust the CDC and FDA any more?

Since the COVID-19 pandemic reached the US, increasing concern has been expressed about the politicization of the CDC and FDA due to pressure from the Trump administration to downplay the severity of the pandemic and push out treatments and a vaccine as fast as possible, potentially at the expense of safety. This has led me to a disturbing question: Can I trust the CDC and FDA any more?

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

Brucellosis: The latest and (maybe) silliest COVID-19 conspiracy theory yet!

Just when I thought I’d heard every amazingly wacky COVID-19 conspiracy theory, James Grundvig of Vaxxter comes up with an even sillier one than interference by flu vaccines: Brucellosis!

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery

“We need to catch that cold!”: Antivaxxers and COVID-19 deniers vs. public health

Antivaccine activist Del Bigtree posted a rant denying the severity of COVID-19, blaming the chronically ill for having made themselves vulnerable to severe disease through their lifestyle choices, and urging the young and healthy to “catch this cold”. His rant shows exactly why COVID-19 conspiracy theorists and antivaxxers have such an affinity for each other and resist public health initiatives.

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Bad science Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

Christopher Shaw uses the results of an abusive FOIA request to intimidate a scientist

Scientist turned antivaccine activist Christopher Shaw tried to intimidate an Alzheimer’s disease expert named Catherine Roe for having withdrawn from an antivaccine crankfest called One Conversation using the results of an abusive FOIA request. Sadly, this is now a common tactic.

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Bad science Medicine Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

Antivaxxers Amy Becker and Mark Blaxill deceptively use COVID-19 death statistics to claim that vaccines cause SIDS

Antivaxxers Amy Becker and Mark Blaxill try to use COVID-19 death statistics to claim that declines in vaccination due to lockdowns in response to the pandemic caused a decline in the number of children dying every week, thus wildly speculating that vaccines cause SIDS. It does not go well.