In this edition of antivaccine Whac-A-Mole, Orac discusses a large study that fails to find a link between maternal Tdap vaccination and autism in the baby. No big surprise there. So, mothers, get your Tdap to protect your baby.
Category: Autism
Jeff Noble and Kerry Bentivolio host a “vaccine choice” (antivaccine) roundtable at a local Republican office
Kerry Bentivolio, Republican candidate for Congress in the 11th Congressional District in Michigan (Orac's district), hosted an antivaccine roundtable with Orac's state representative Jeff Noble, three antivaxers, and the antivaccine group Michigan for Vaccine Choice. Orac attended and now reports the craziness.
Brooklyn measles outbreak of 2013: A case study of the cost of antivaccine pseudoscience
Infectious disease outbreaks are costly in human and financial terms. An analysis of the 2013 Brooklyn measles outbreak shows just how costly one outbreak can be and how much it can strain already strained public health resources. This is the cost of antivaccine madness.
Anke Zimmermann: Neonatal vitamin K shots cause behavioral problems that need to be treated with… homeopathic vitamin K!
Anke Zimmermann is a naturopath in Canada who treats autism who's quackier than the usual naturopath. When last we saw her, she was using homeopathic rabid dog saliva to treat a fear of werewolves. This time around, she presents a "case report" in which she spent two and a half years treating a cranky child with various homeopathic remedies and concluded that her problems were due to the neonatal vitamin K shot. Naturally, that means to her, like any good homeopath, that the correct treatment is vitamin K diluted away to nothing.
The Dunning-Kruger effect, antivaxers, and the arrogance of ignorance
Thanks to the Dunning-Kruger effect, many antivaxers think they know more about vaccines than doctors, scientists, and other experts in infectious disease, immunology, and vaccines. It is this arrogance of ignorance that fuels their antivaccine activism and makes them resistant to disconfirming evidence.
A belated Fourth of July antivaccine rant about “zero tolerance vaccine laws,” courtesy of Barbara Loe Fisher
It may be two days after the 4th of July, but it's never too late to deconstruct a holiday-inspired antivaccine rant about "zero tolerance vaccine laws" by the grand dame of the antivaccine movement.
The excuses and conspiracy theories flow over Dr. Bob Sears’ being disciplined by the Medical Board of California
Last week, we learned that antivaccine pediatrician Dr. Bob Sears was disciplined by the Medical Board of California. It didn't take long for him to take to Facebook to make excuses and paint himself as a martyr to the "vaccine freedom" cause or for his antivaccine admirers to come up with ridiculous conspiracy theories.
Antivaccine pediatrician Dr. Bob Sears finally faces discipline from the Medical Board of California
Antivaccine pediatrician Dr. Bob Sears has been disciplined by the Medical Board of California, complete with a requirement for medical educations, ethics courses, and a practice monitor to make sure he doesn't practice outside the standard of care. I wonder how his patients' parents will like him now that he has to administer vaccines according to the CDC schedule.
The conspiracy theory surrounding Italian antivaccine scientist Stefano Montanari deepens
Stefano Montanari and Antonietta Gatti are a husband-wife duo of Italian antivaccine "scientists" who like to use the electron microscope to find particulates in vaccines and try to scare people over them. Recently, Montanari was punched by an unknown assailant after having addressed the fascist group Casa Pound. Naturally, he thinks it's part of a government conspiracy to silence him.
The facilitated communication empire strikes back over the Midwest Summer Institute
Earlier this week, the University of Northern Iowa faced severe criticism for hosting the Midwest Summer Institute, a conference on facilitated communication. Yesterday, FC advocates struck back.