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Antivaccine nonsense Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Thanks for the measles yet again, Andy

Yet another population is learning why you shouldn’t trust Andrew Wakefield. There is a large Somali immigrant population in Minnesota, and unfortunately they’ve been targeted by antivaxers. As a result, their MMR uptake has plummeted, and now they’re in the midst of another measles outbreak. Andrew Wakefield screws yet another group.

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Antivaccine nonsense Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Quoth an antivaxer: DNA vaccines are contaminating our DNA in the name of transhumanism!

Transhumanism is the idea that one day humans will merge with machines, to the betterment of humankind. Antivaxers have a thing for transhumanism too. They think that somehow the real purpose of DNA vaccines is to prepare the human race for transhumanism.

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Cancer Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Politics Quackery

The FDA cracks down on bogus cancer “cures.” Will this be the last time this happens until after Trump?

This week, the FDA sent warning letters to 14 companies making unsupported claims that their products can treat cancer. Given the new administration’s determination to deregulate almost everything, but especially the FDA, is this the last time in the foreseeable future that such a crackdown will occur?

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Cancer Clinical trials Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Politics Popular culture Quackery

The failure of the Texas Medical Board: Houston cancer quack Stanislaw Burzynski is back in business

Last month, the Texas Medical Board fined Houston cancer quack Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski and placed his practice under supervision. It did not strip him of his medical license, as he deserves. The result is that families of children with terminal cancer are once again raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to follow his siren song of false hope.

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Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy Politics Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

The death of Jade Erick: Why state licensure doesn’t protect patients from naturopathic quackery

Naturopaths claim that licensing their profession will ensure a high standard of care and protect patients. The case of Jade Erick, who died as a result of intravenous curcumin administered by a naturopath puts the lie to that claim. We now know that the naturopath who killed Erick has pending complaints that the Naturopathic Medicine Committee has done little to act on, revealing its ineffectiveness.