RESPECTFUL INSOLENCE

"A statement of fact cannot be insolent." The miscellaneous ramblings of a surgeon/scientist on medicine, quackery, science, and pseudoscience (and anything else that interests him).

Antivaccine nonsense Medicine

The cost of antivaccinationism

Post author By Orac
Post date August 14, 2008
207 Comments on The cost of antivaccinationism

We seem to have an infestation of a couple of very persistent anti-vaccinationist trolls. (It happens; every so often someone new thinks they can take me and my readers on. They’re usually pretty quickly disabused of that notion.) That infestation is why I thought now would be an opportune time to refer my readers to a post that shows the world to which we could return if the anti-vaccine contingent gets its way. Written by the always irascibly sarcastic Dr. Mark Crislip of Quackcast, it’s entitled Amanda Peet is My Hero (1).

Remember, Dr. Crislip is an infectious disease specialist. As he tells us, he doesn’t “make dime one if people do not get infected.” So he’s hoping that Jenny McCarthy and her brain dead ilk are successful. Well, not really. Dr. Crislip is very good at sarcasm, so much so that I can’t always tell when he is being sarcastic. This time I’m pretty sure he doesn’t really mean it.

I think.

Oh, wait, he left a footnote to let us know it was sarcasm. All is well.

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By Orac

Orac is the nom de blog of a humble surgeon/scientist who has an ego just big enough to delude himself that someone, somewhere might actually give a rodent's posterior about his copious verbal meanderings, but just barely small enough to admit to himself that few probably will. That surgeon is otherwise known as David Gorski.

That this particular surgeon has chosen his nom de blog based on a rather cranky and arrogant computer shaped like a clear box of blinking lights that he originally encountered when he became a fan of a 35 year old British SF television show whose special effects were renowned for their BBC/Doctor Who-style low budget look, but whose stories nonetheless resulted in some of the best, most innovative science fiction ever televised, should tell you nearly all that you need to know about Orac. (That, and the length of the preceding sentence.)

DISCLAIMER:: The various written meanderings here are the opinions of Orac and Orac alone, written on his own time. They should never be construed as representing the opinions of any other person or entity, especially Orac's cancer center, department of surgery, medical school, or university. Also note that Orac is nonpartisan; he is more than willing to criticize the statements of anyone, regardless of of political leanings, if that anyone advocates pseudoscience or quackery. Finally, medical commentary is not to be construed in any way as medical advice.

To contact Orac: [email protected]

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