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Bad science Clinical trials Medicine Popular culture Skepticism/critical thinking

Ivermectin is the new hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19

The veterinary deworming drug ivermectin has become the new hydroxychloroquine in that it is being promoted as a highly effective treatment against COVID-19—and by many of the same people who previously promoted HCQ—despite evidence that is, at best very weak and at worst completely negative. Unfortunately, with the publication of two new and biased reviews, the “HCQ vibe” about ivermectin is stronger than ever.

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Anti-Semitism Antivaccine nonsense Holocaust Holocaust denial Medicine Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience

Anne Frank: RFK Jr. now versus RFK Jr. in 2015

At the Defeat the Mandates rally on Sunday, RFK Jr. invoked Anne Frank in an antivaccine speech. Then he apologized. Shorter RFK Jr.: “Oops, I did it again!” Why is anyone surprised? This has always been RFK Jr.’s MO.

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Medicine

“If you’re pro-science, then you should be anti-vaccine”?

Antivaxxers love to claim the mantle of science and that they are more pro-science than vaccine advocates. They aren’t, although it is often true that they appear to “know” more about vaccines. The problem is motivated reasoning based on cherry picked evidence.

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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.

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Antivaccine nonsense Bad science Cancer Medicine Quackery

Tess Lawrie: “You might not believe this, little fella, but it’ll cure your cancer too”

In a turn that should surprise exactly no one, the BIRD Group’s Tess Lawrie effortlessly pivots from promoting ivermectin as a cure for COVID-19 to promoting it as a cure for cancer. It’s another example of how single-issue quacks almost inevitably embrace more diverse quackery.