Dr. Andrew Zimmerman issued a press release claiming he had been misrepresented in a news report by antivaxer Sharyl Attkisson. He wasn't. Rather, he's been a useful idiot for the antivaccine movement.
Tag: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Sharyl Attkisson is back, and she’s flogging a new-old antivaccine conspiracy theory
As a reporter with a decade-long history of credulously reporting antivaccine conspiracy theories and pseudoscience as news, Sharyl Attkisson is an old "friend" of the blog. This time, she's reporting a new-old conspiracy theory about the Autism Omnibus proceedings. I say "new-old" because she tries to mightily to produce a new version of the central conspiracy theory of the antivaccine movement.
Shannon Kroner invited me to a panel discussion on vaccines. Don’t fall for a trap like this.
A clinical psychologist named Shannon Kroner invited Orac's alter-ego to a "panel discussion" on vaccines. Let's just say Orac knows a trap when he sees one and didn't fall for this one. However, he thought it wise to write this post to warn other science advocates about traps for the unwary—like this one. Heed Orac's advice!
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his World Mercury Project: Antivaccine, NOT “fiercely pro-vaccine”
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. claims that he is "fiercely pro-vaccine." His words and actions say otherwise, for instance his Indiegogo campaign to raise money to promote antivaccine misinformation.
Why is antivaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. meeting with government health and science officials months after meeting with President Trump?
In January, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. bragged about having met with President-Elect Donald Trump about chairing a presidential commission on vaccine safety. In the intervening eight months, no commission has materialized, but, if you can believe his account, Kennedy has been meeting with government officials to promote his antivaccine views at the behest of the Trump administration. As long as that continues, pro-science advocates can't afford to rest easy.
Antivaxers marched on Washington last week. It was less than impressive.
A few dozen antivaccine activists descended upon Washington, DC to protest and lobby their legislators. The protest itself was not impressive, but pro-science advocates shouldn't let this pathetic march lead them to be complacent. Antivaxers are meeting with legislators, and President Trump is sympathetic to their aims.
Tomorrow, antivaxers march on Washington, and, boy, are they excited!
Antivaxers are marching on Washington tomorrow, as they did in 2008. The cast is different (other than Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Barbara Loe Fisher), but the dangerous pseudoscientific is the same.
Antivaxers are petitioning the White House and Antivaxer-in-Chief President Donald Trump to listen to their demands.
Antivaxers think they have a friend in the White House, and they might very well be right.
“Disruptive” functional medicine at the Cleveland Clinic: Disrupting medicine by mixing quackery with it
That the Cleveland Clinic has become one of the leading institutions, if not the leading institution, in embracing quackademic medicine is now indisputable. Indeed, 2017 greeted me with a reminder of just how low the Clinic has gone when the director of its Wellness Institute published a blatantly antivaccine article for a local publication, which led to a firestorm of publicity in the medical blogosphere, social media, and conventional media to the point where the Cleveland Clinic’s CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove had to respond. Dr. Cosgrove was—shall we say?—not particularly convincing. Indeed, even as he voiced support for vaccines (good), …
Bogus “challenges” to prove the scientific consensus: The M.O. of a crank
Cranks love 'em: Cash "challenges" demanding that skeptics and scientists "prove" the scientific consensus. Of course, these challenges are always rigged.