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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics Popular culture

The soft eugenics of MAHA: Measles and RFK Jr.

I’ve long said that the antivax movement is borderline eugenicist (or at least social Darwinist) in nature. Given the ongoing measles outbreak, with two children dead so far, it’s time for me to take a look at the “soft eugenics” of the antivax movement and, more generally, the MAHA movement.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

Has RFK Jr. betrayed the antivax movement?

Yesterday, I woke up to see an amazing op-ed in which longtime antivaxxer and now HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a call to action that included the MMR vaccine. Has he gone pro-vax? Not exactly, but it’s amusing to watch his fans howl.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

When the next outbreaks hit, they’ll likely be in Texas (2019 edition)

A new study that mathematically models vaccination and measles spread shows why Texas is overdue for large measles outbreaks, thanks to its growing number of children whose parents claim personal belief exemptions to school vaccine mandates.

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Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery

In the middle of massive flooding in Texas, antivaxers fear…school vaccine mandates?

Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas two weeks ago, and the recovery effort will take years. As hundreds of thousands start to try to rebuild their shattered lives and homes, antivaxers have some helpful advice on how to avoid vaccines. That’s because to antivaxers, it’s always about vaccines. Always.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

Surprise! Relatively small decreases in vaccine uptake can lead to big increases in vaccine-preventable disease!

Whenever vaccine uptake falls to a level below that needed to maintain herd immunity, the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases climbs. It doesn’t take that dramatic of a decline. Here’s a study that shows how a small decrease in vaccine uptake can lead to a large increase in disease.