Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics Popular culture Pseudoscience Religion

Antivaxers inundate the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting

Yesterday, antivaxers inundated the public comment session of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. There were only two pro-science advocates versus a host of antivaccine activists spouting pseudoscience

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Bad science Politics Pseudoscience Quackery Religion Skepticism/critical thinking

Rep.-Elect Mark Green: A new antivaccine crank goes to Congress

Here we go again. Meet Rep-Elect Mark Green. He’s following in the footsteps of Reps. Dan Burton and Bill Posey in bringing the antivaccine crazy to Congress, only this time for the people of Tennessee.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Popular culture Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

The ACIP, Paul Offit, and harassment by antivaxers

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is the committee that decides on the CDC-recommended vaccine schedule. Naturally, antivaxers don’t like it—or any scientist on it. Or any vaccine advocate, for that matter. Paul Offit is a particular target of their ire, and they can be quite scary.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Pseudoscience Quackery Skepticism/critical thinking

Last year was the worst season for influenza mortality in decades

Barbara Loe Fisher, Joe Mercola, and other antivaxers frequently deny that the flu is dangerous and that all the promotion of flu vaccines every year is a plot by big pharma to make money based on fear. The CDC argues otherwise, reporting that influenza mortality last season was higher than iit’s been in decades. Roughly 80,000 people are estimated to have died last season from influenza or complications from the flu.

Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Popular culture Pseudoscience

Autism prevalence increases, and antivaxers blame it on vaccines (2018 edition)

As it does every two years, the CDC has issued its 2018 report on autism prevalence. As in years past, autism prevalence has ticked upward. As in years past, antivaxers have tried to blame it on vaccines. As in years past, they’re wrong. Vaccines are not responsible for increased autism prevalence.