Tag: Autism

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

The Somali measles outbreak in Minnesota: Thanks again, Andy (and American antivaxers), for the measles

Andrew Wakefield, the measles, and JPANDS
Thanks, Andy, for the measles.

Antivaxers targeted a. vulnerable community of Somali immigrants in Minnesota. The result: A large (and growing) measles outbreak. Thanks, Andy.

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Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Homeopathy Medicine Naturopathy Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

The New York Times publishes fake news false hope in the form of a credulous account of dubious alternative medicine testimonials

It’s been a bad week for the Gray Lady in the science department. Hot off the heels of hiring a climate science denier for its op-ed section, it’s published a credulous article that uncritically touts a book full of dubious alternative medicine testimonials.

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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 Autism Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Quoth an antivaxer: Vaccines are making dogs autistic!

I love dogs and puppies; so I used this post as an excuse to post a picture of a cute puppy running.

To antivaxers, it’s always the vaccines. Now they’re claiming vaccines cause autism in dogs. The problem, of course, is that vaccines don’t cause autism in humans, and labeling dog behavior as “autistic” is problematic in the extreme.

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

It’s a strange world, after all: Orac vs. The Shat and fake news over…Autism Speaks?

How Orac imagines William Shatner as appearing when he's Tweeting.

Orac is attacked by Capt. Kirk using fake news over the course of several days. Truly, it is a strange world.