Tag: misinformation

Malhotra as Pee Wee Herman

“I know you are, but what am I?” Dr. Aseem Malhotra rails against COVID-19 “misinformation”

Projection is a common defense mechanism used by those spreading health misinformation and disinformation. Last week Dr. Aseem Malhotra published part 2 of a plan to cure "the pandemic of misinformation on COVID-19 mRNA vaccines through real evidence-based medicine". Unsurprisingly, it was chock full of antivaccine misinformation. It's a real "I know you are, but what am I?" exercise in disinformation.

/ October 3, 2022
Censored

“Censorship” and “thoughtcrime”? Antivaxxers and COVID-19 contrarians attack California AB 2098

One of the oldest tropes favored by quacks of all stripes, including antivaxxers, is to portray any attempt at regulating their quackery as an assault on freedom of speech. It's therefore not surprising that after its passage by the California legislature prominent spreaders of COVID-19 misinformation are labeling AB2098, which seeks clarify and codify the power of the Medical Board of California...

/ September 26, 2022
Figure 1

Science denial, overconfidence, and persuasion

The pandemic has brought scientists who have rejected science with respect to COVID-19 public health measures a disturbing level of influence. Recent research suggests reasons why and who among the public susceptible to such misinformation remains persuadable.

/ August 22, 2022
ABIM Logo

The ABIM vs. medical misinformation: Better late than never?

Last week, the New England Journal of Medicine published an editorial by the President of ABIM discussing how the board certification can be taken away from diplomates who spread medical misinformation. Is this too little, too late?

/ May 23, 2022

Vaccines Don’t Save Lives

Fostering basic critical thinking skills and countering medical misinformation is a vital undertaking.

/ May 20, 2022

Medical Misinformation Falsely Links a Serious Infection to Leftover Chinese Food

A young man contracted a dangerous infection that was newsworthy, because it could have been prevented by a safe vaccine, but it had absolutely nothing to do with leftover Chinese food despite what is being promoted by a viral YouTube video and several news articles.

/ March 4, 2022

Dr. Vinay Prasad: “Public Health’s (Mis)Truth Problem”

Dr. Vinay Prasad continues to spread fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the government response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

/ February 27, 2022

A Medical Myth: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has quietly changed their standards for early childhood development

We should strive to retain our ability to be shocked and upset at doctors who pollute the COVID landscape with misinformation.

/ February 25, 2022

The Misinformation Dilemma

Is there a workable solution to the social media dilemma?

/ January 19, 2022

Everything old is new again

Since the pandemic hit, I've frequently said things like, "Everything old is new again", referring to the antivaccine movement in the age of COVID-19. As 2022 dawned, I thought I'd expand a bit on what I mean. Is there a term for déjà vu, but what I'm seeing now is amplified a thousand-fold? Proponents of science-based medicine have been warning us for...

/ January 3, 2022