Tag Archives: vaccines

Polio vs. bin Laden

Like most Americans, I felt a visceral surge of patriotic pride when I heard that we’d killed Osama bin Laden: pride in the President who ordered and orchestrated the bold raid, pride in the military that carried it out, and … Continue reading

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So Does The Flu Vaccine Work Or Not?

A paper that came out Wednesday on influenza vaccine efficacy has generated a new round of speculation about what is probably the hardest sell in the vaccine business. There’s a lot to complain about with our current flu vaccines: everyone … Continue reading

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Elsevier Makes Good: Original Wakefield Takedown Now Free

Awhile back, I blogged about a particularly insidious glitch in the biomedical literature, in which a fraudulent study that caused enormous harm was available for free, while a contemporary – and strikingly prescient – commentary that eviscerated that study was … Continue reading

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Our Cross to Bear

I’m an atheist, but for social reasons I occasionally have to sit through a church service. This past Easter, I did it again, and found the sermon particularly interesting, though not in the way the pastor intended. Visiting a common … Continue reading

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The Vaccine-Autism Fraud

This is why we still need old-fashioned investigative journalists. Of course the anti-vaccination zealots will claim he’s a tool of Big Pharma, but that’s pretty hard to reconcile with his other work. Excellent job, Mr. Deer.

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Penn and Teller on Vaccines and Autism

I first saw these guys at the Maryland Renaissance Festival, long before they were famous. Though their recent work sometimes veers a bit off the rails, they definitely do a good job explaining the real risks and benefits of vaccination:

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Vaccines and Autism: The Bullshit Continues

A news item a few days ago has fired up a new round of the old “vaccines cause autism” nonsense. The story correctly states that the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has awarded a substantial amount of money to the … Continue reading

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Not What I Expected, Either

I see anywhere from dozens to hundreds of scientific news releases and stories each day. Even if it weren’t my job to keep up on these developments, I’d probably still be addicted to reading them, because once in a great … Continue reading

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WHO Finally Gets The Memo, but Leslie's Still Missing It

I’m a bit peeved with science journalist Leslie Roberts. She’s a fine writer, but as my graduate school mentor and current TWiV co-host Vince Racaniello has reminded me, she continues to screw up the story of polio eradication. Vince has … Continue reading

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Don’t Back Down, Amanda

In today’s New York Times, there’s an inspiring story about the long-delayed backlash against antivaccination zealots. Thanks to a courageous new book from pediatrician Paul Offit, rational thinkers are finally getting up the nerve to put these folks in their … Continue reading

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