Category: Public Health
Trump’s new CDC Director is very pro-vaccine, but was she also at one time a quack?
On Friday, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Tom Price announced the appointment of Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald to head the CDC. Reassuringly, her record as Georgia Public Health Commissioner was pro-vaccine and relatively non-ideological. Not so reassuringly, a news report yesterday found that before entering public service she was peddling anti-aging quackery at her private practice. Where will her balance fall now...
Adrenal fatigue: A fake disease (updated)
“Adrenal fatigue” is not a real medical condition, but some claim it is real and that medicine is ignoring it. What does the science say?
A closer look at penicillin allergies
While many people believe they may be allergic to penicillin, few actually are. The consequences may be serious.
BMI and the Obesity Epidemic
Obesity is a serious and growing health problem worldwide. Ditching BMI as a measure of obesity is not the solution.
Does society try to shame and shun vaccine refusers and the vaccine-averse?
Antivaxers often complain that they are judged harshly, even shunned. A recent study suggests that, to some extent, they might well be. But are judging, shaming, and shunning parents who refuse to vaccinate their children wrong? More importantly, what about the children, who didn’t choose not to be vaccinated, and how likely is such stigmatization to change behavior?
Anti-inflammatory drugs and heart attacks: How real are the risks?
A new study provides more evidence that anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen and ibuprofen cause small but real increases in the risk of heart attacks.
Make measles great again: A case study of the politicization of school vaccine requirements in Michigan
Protecting our children through school vaccine requirements has long had strong bipartisan support. Unfortunately, the antivaccine movement has had success linking "vaccine choice" with "freedom" and "parental rights", leading to a surge of right wing antivaccine activism that has undermined that bipartisan consensus. Two bills under consideration by the Michigan legislature represent a microcosm of what is going on in much of...
Outbreaks among Somali immigrants in Minnesota: Thanks for the measles again, Andy
Andrew Wakefield's antivaccine propaganda film VAXXED claims that MMR vaccination causes autism in African American boys. Unfortunately, this is not the first time Wakefield has targeted people of color with antivaccine misinformation. Before there was VAXXED, Wakefield and antivaxers targeted Somali immigrants in Minnesota. Measles outbreaks have been the result.
Ignorance is Strength?
Findings from a recent consultation suggest that consumers don't want health claims to be supported by evidence. Do consumers really prefer ignorance over evidence? Or is this the product of a industry campaign to derail new, science-based regulations?
Nigeria Court Ruling on Benzene in Soft Drinks
A Nigerian court condemned the current level of benzene found in local soft drinks. Was this decision reasonable given the evidence? Is there something else going on here?