Month: February 2021

Bills eliminating school immunizations and other anti-vaccination measures confront state legislatures

Bills eliminating school immunizations and expanding exemptions are pending in state legislatures. Other state bills strengthen immunization requirements by eliminating exemptions, among other measures. An anti-vaccination misinformation campaign is underway to influence legislators' votes.

/ February 25, 2021

Phage Therapy and Antibiotic Resistance

We are potentially seeing the rebirth of phage therapy for bacterial infections, but we can't skip the science.

/ February 24, 2021

Stupid Videos Meet Penis Growth Scams

There is a pattern of stupid, misleading videos promoting dietary supplements. This video discloses a secret African ritual for penis enlargement; the "ritual" consists of taking a pill with 14 natural ingredients. The claims are too silly to take seriously.

/ February 23, 2021
Prions and Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease

Can mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines cause prion disease or Alzheimer’s?

Antivax immunologist J. Bart Classen published a paper claiming that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines can cause prion disease leading to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's dementia. What are prions, and can these vaccines cause prion disease? (Spoiler alert: The answer to the second question is almost certainly no. It's speculation based on highly implausible biology.)

/ February 22, 2021

Science-Based Satire: Portland Compounding Pharmacy Introduces Line of Bespoke Artisinal Parenteral Nutrition

Are compounding pharmacies working with naturopathic integrative functional medicine doctors to make bespoke artisanal IV nutrition that looks like soup in a mason jar? No. Stop it. You know this isn't true. It's satire.

/ February 19, 2021

The effectiveness of zinc and vitamin C on the duration of COVID-19 infections

Vitamin C and zinc have been heralded as treatments for colds for decades, but how well do they work against COVID-19? A new clinical trial provides the answer.

/ February 18, 2021

Infrared Saunas for “Detoxification”

Sweating in saunas is not a good way to remove toxins, whether traditional or infrared.

/ February 17, 2021

Evenity for Osteoporosis

Hip and wrist fractures are a common result of osteoporosis. A new drug, Evenity, reduces the risk of vertebral fractures, but it doesn't significantly reduce the risk of non-vertebral fractures. Other drugs do.

/ February 16, 2021
Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine

Lipid nanoparticles in COVID-19 vaccines: The new mercury to antivaxxers

When it comes to antivaccine misinformation and the COVID-19 pandemic, everything old is new again, at least if you haven't been paying attention. This time around, it's the resurrection of an old favorite antivaccine trope, the "toxins" gambit. Truly, lipid nanoparticles are the new mercury.

/ February 15, 2021

Legislative Alchemy: Undaunted by rejection in 2020, naturopaths return to state legislatures seeking licensing and practice expansion

States largely rejected naturopathic licensing and practice expansion efforts in 2020. As ever, naturopaths are back again in 2021, imploring state legislators to legitimize them with licensing and greater scopes of practice, especially the authority to prescribe drugs.

/ February 11, 2021