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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics Quackery

The Israel Ministry of Health cracks down on antivaccine doctors

In response to a massive measles outbreak, the Israel Ministry of Health has decided to crack down on antivaccine doctors. It’s about time, and I only wish we would do the same thing here in the US.

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Bad science Medicine Pseudoscience

Dr. Andrew Zimmerman: A useful idiot for the antivaccine movement

Dr. Andrew Zimmerman issued a press release claiming he had been misrepresented in a news report by antivaxer Sharyl Attkisson. He wasn’t. Rather, he’s been a useful idiot for the antivaccine movement.

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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.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Politics Popular culture Television

Sharyl Attkisson is back, and she’s flogging a new-old antivaccine conspiracy theory

As a reporter with a decade-long history of credulously reporting antivaccine conspiracy theories and pseudoscience as news, Sharyl Attkisson is an old “friend” of the blog. This time, she’s reporting a new-old conspiracy theory about the Autism Omnibus proceedings. I say “new-old” because she tries to mightily to produce a new version of the central conspiracy theory of the antivaccine movement.

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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Bad science Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Vaxelis: The first hexavalent vaccine is approved in the US, and antivaxers don’t like it

Over the holidays, on the day after Christmas, Merck and Sanofi announced FDA approval of Vaxelis, a new hexavalent vaccine. It’s great news for children. Unsurprisingly, antivaxers hate it.