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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience

Andy Serwer: Giving RFK, Jr. an unopposed platform to spread antivaccine propaganda on Yahoo! Finance

Andy Serwer of Yahoo! Finance interviewed Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. It did not go well. Serwer allowed RFK, Jr. to spew his antivax propaganda largely unquestioned.

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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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Medicine

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. lays down even more antivax misinformation now that SB 276 has become law

SB 276 is now law, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is very unhappy, so much so that he’s laying down the antivax nonsense fast and furious. It’s particularly nonsensical, even for him.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics Popular culture Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Shannon Kroner invited me to a panel discussion on vaccines. Don’t fall for a trap like this.

A clinical psychologist named Shannon Kroner invited Orac’s alter-ego to a “panel discussion” on vaccines. Let’s just say Orac knows a trap when he sees one and didn’t fall for this one. However, he thought it wise to write this post to warn other science advocates about traps for the unwary—like this one. Heed Orac’s advice!

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Evolution Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery

Andrew Wakefield predicts a “mass extinction” due to vaccines in the pages of—where else?—JPANDS

In a new article in JPANDS, the official journal of the crank medical organization Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), Andrew Wakefield argues that vaccines are leading to a mass extinction. Wakefield’s argument is so full of misinformation and pseudoscience that I can only marvel at how much Wakefield and AAPS belong together.