Tag: COVID contrarian

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Antivaccine nonsense Clinical trials Medicine Skepticism/critical thinking

Economist Mark Skidmore publishes antivax propaganda disguised as a survey

Mark Skidmore
Mark Skidmore is a perfect example showing why economists shouldn't be trying to determine how many adverse events are caused by vaccines. At least, antivax economists shouldn't, as they embarrass themselves and their schools when they do so.

Antivaxxers love surveys. This time BMC Infectious Diseases has the dubious “honor” of publishing a truly awful one by an economist named Mark Skidmore that claims that COVID-19 vaccine have killed nearly 300K people.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine

When “died suddenly” comes for a colleague and friend

Dr. Harriet Hall
Dr. Harriet Hall (with friend) at The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas in 2011.

Since Dr. Harriet Hall (a.k.a. The SkepDoc) died last week, antivaxxers have been blaming COVID-19 vaccines. Their vileness knows no limits.

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Antivaccine nonsense Medicine Politics Popular culture Skepticism/critical thinking

If 2022 was the “year of the gaslighter,” expect a lot more gaslighting in 2023

Gaslight: The inspiration for "gaslighting"

“Gaslighting” is a term that refers to the manipulation of someone in order to lead them to question their own reality and even sanity. Last month, a COVID-19 minimizer and antivaxxer declared 2022 the “year of the gaslighter,” revealing yet again that it’s always projection with science-denying propagandists. Unfortunately, 2023 looks to hold a lot more of the same in store.

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Antivaccine nonsense Computers and social media Medicine Pseudoscience Skepticism/critical thinking

Did Anthony Fauci have a “conflict of interest” because his wife is Chief of Bioethics at NIH?

Drs Anthony Fauci and Christine Grady
Drs Anthony Fauci and Christine Grady.

While Orac was off last week, Twitter’s new owner Elon Musk resurrected an antivax conspiracy theory that Anthony Fauci’s wife was “supposed to make sure” that he “behaves ethically.”

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Antivaccine nonsense Clinical trials Medicine Politics Science

Projection and methodolatry over COVID-19

Methodolatry and the worship of false idols
The RCT is the Golden Calf in this image.

Projection, thy name is Dr. Vinay Prasad, who complains about “ad hominem” coming from his critics while siding with some nasty COVID-19 minimizers, as he engages in obvious methodolatry about every study of vaccines, masks, and COVID-19.