Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

A “not antivax” COVID-19 contrarian: “RFK Jr. makes ‘reasonable’ points”

Podcaster Joe Rogan conveyed a “debate” challenge by antivax conspiracy theorist RFK Jr. to Dr. Peter Hotez. COVID-19 contrarian Dr. Vinay Prasad, wanting to be on Rogan’s podcast, sucked up to both, saying RFK Jr. made many “reasonable” points. What gives? And should scientists ever agree to debate cranks?

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Politics Popular culture

Antivaxxers aren’t just antivaccine. They’re anti-public health.

Why have antivaxxers allied themselves with COVID-19 deniers? Simple. Both share an unrelenting hostility to public health interventions.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Medicine Politics Skepticism/critical thinking

Florida makes its antivax disinformation “official”

This month Florida State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo released a non-peer-reviewed “study” that recommends against males aged 18 to 39 receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines based on bad epidemiology and science. This is the first time that we’ve seen a state government weaponize bad science to spread antivaccine disinformation as official policy, a dangerous new escalation in antivaccine propaganda.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Medicine

Novavax and “moth cells”: The latest antivax fear mongering

Recently, Novavax, an “old school” recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, was granted emergency use authorization. Now antivaxxers are fear mongering about its use of “moth cells” and “tree bark.” That’s because to antivaxxers, it’s about the vaccines, not any specific technology.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics

Austin Bennett takes the violent rhetoric of the antivaccine movement a step closer to real violence

Austin Bennett is an antivaxer and chemtrail conspiracy theorist. Yesterday, he approached California Sen. Richard Pan in downtown Sacramento. There, he harangued Dr. Pan and ultimately shoved him, all on Facebook Live. Is the violent rhetoric of antivaxers closer to real violence?