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Showing Original Post only (View all)Anti-vax asshat RFK Jr. on Dr. Oz, promoting his anti-vax asshat book... [View all]
http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2014/09/12/has-dr-oz-become-antivaccine/Take a look at the thimerosal segment on yesterdays The Dr. Oz Show, and youll quickly see what I mean:
The Truth About Thimerosal, Part 1
The Truth About Thimerosal, Part 2
Dr. Oz had as guests on his show antivaccine loon Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his partner in crime against vaccine science, functional medicine expert Dr. Robert Hyman, on his show in a credulous segment about the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal that buys into virtually every trope about mercury in vaccines promulgated by the antivaccine movement. The reason, of course, is because Kennedy and Hyman have a book out. Its a book entitled Thimerosal: Let the Science Speak: Mercury Toxicity in Vaccines and the Political, Regulatory, and Media Failures That Continue to Threaten Public Health that Ive discussed before in which, as I put it, Kennedy parties about thimerosal like its 1999.
snip
Oz then went on to observe that vaccines have come under a lot of fire in the medical community. It was at this point that I wanted to reach through the screen and strangle Dr. Oz, its taking a major effort of will not to do so. (Such blatant stupidity has that effect on me, particularly dangerous antivaccine stupidity such as what Dr. Oz had just regurgitated to millions of viewers. Fortunately, I am not a violent person, but Im sure anyone whos pro-science will understand the momentary urge.) No, no, no, no! Vaccines have NOT come under a lot of fire from the medical community. The medical community is virtually universally supportive of vaccines. Rather, vaccines have come under fire from a number of misguided activists who mistakenly think, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, that vaccines cause autism. Theyve also come under fire from quackery supporters like RFK, Jr., and, yes, Mark Hyman. In any case, in order to clear the air, Oz went on to ask Hyman and RFK whether they are antivaccine. I almost laughed when RFK said that hes fiercely pro-vaccine, which, given the level of sheer pseudoscience, conspiracy mongering, and stupidity that hes laid down over the last nine years on the topic, has to be either a lie or the most amazing case of self-delusion Ive seen in a very long time or an outright lie. Hyman chimed in, assuring that he, too, is pro-vaccine, which is nonsense. If youve collaborated with a book with the likes of RFK, Jr. that lays down scads of pseudoscience, conspiracy mongering, and misinformation about vaccines, youve lost your right to call yourself pro-vaccine, or at least youve lost any expectation that people wont laugh in your face when you do something as risible as claiming that you are not antivaccine.
Next followed a brief video about the history of the use of thimerosal in vaccines, which noted that thimerosal came to be suspected of causing autism in the 1990s. In fairness, the segment stated that the link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism has been discredited, but that was buried under sensationalistic fear mongering, with alarming images, the observation that the government got rid of thimerosal in vaccines because, Better safe than sorry, and the conspicuous notation that thimerosal is gone from childhood vaccines with the glaring exception of some flu vaccines, not to mention the claim that the EPA considers medical products containing thimerosal to be hazardous waste, decorated, naturally, a big picture of a biohazard symbol in the background. At one point, he displayed an Erlenmeyer flask full of what looked like liquid mercury, swirling the liquid metal, and then added the mercury into a beaker of water meant to represent a multi-use vial of vaccines to demonstrate how mercury is added to vaccines to prevent bacterial overgrowth that can occur as a result of bacterial seeding that can result from entering the vial with more than one needle. Its one of the dumber visual demonstrations Ive seen on The Dr. Oz Show, and thats saying a lot. Thimerosal is not metallic mercury. One would think that Oz might have picked up a bit of organic chemistry in his premed courses or in medical school.
The Truth About Thimerosal, Part 1
The Truth About Thimerosal, Part 2
Dr. Oz had as guests on his show antivaccine loon Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his partner in crime against vaccine science, functional medicine expert Dr. Robert Hyman, on his show in a credulous segment about the mercury-containing preservative thimerosal that buys into virtually every trope about mercury in vaccines promulgated by the antivaccine movement. The reason, of course, is because Kennedy and Hyman have a book out. Its a book entitled Thimerosal: Let the Science Speak: Mercury Toxicity in Vaccines and the Political, Regulatory, and Media Failures That Continue to Threaten Public Health that Ive discussed before in which, as I put it, Kennedy parties about thimerosal like its 1999.
snip
Oz then went on to observe that vaccines have come under a lot of fire in the medical community. It was at this point that I wanted to reach through the screen and strangle Dr. Oz, its taking a major effort of will not to do so. (Such blatant stupidity has that effect on me, particularly dangerous antivaccine stupidity such as what Dr. Oz had just regurgitated to millions of viewers. Fortunately, I am not a violent person, but Im sure anyone whos pro-science will understand the momentary urge.) No, no, no, no! Vaccines have NOT come under a lot of fire from the medical community. The medical community is virtually universally supportive of vaccines. Rather, vaccines have come under fire from a number of misguided activists who mistakenly think, despite mountains of evidence to the contrary, that vaccines cause autism. Theyve also come under fire from quackery supporters like RFK, Jr., and, yes, Mark Hyman. In any case, in order to clear the air, Oz went on to ask Hyman and RFK whether they are antivaccine. I almost laughed when RFK said that hes fiercely pro-vaccine, which, given the level of sheer pseudoscience, conspiracy mongering, and stupidity that hes laid down over the last nine years on the topic, has to be either a lie or the most amazing case of self-delusion Ive seen in a very long time or an outright lie. Hyman chimed in, assuring that he, too, is pro-vaccine, which is nonsense. If youve collaborated with a book with the likes of RFK, Jr. that lays down scads of pseudoscience, conspiracy mongering, and misinformation about vaccines, youve lost your right to call yourself pro-vaccine, or at least youve lost any expectation that people wont laugh in your face when you do something as risible as claiming that you are not antivaccine.
Next followed a brief video about the history of the use of thimerosal in vaccines, which noted that thimerosal came to be suspected of causing autism in the 1990s. In fairness, the segment stated that the link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism has been discredited, but that was buried under sensationalistic fear mongering, with alarming images, the observation that the government got rid of thimerosal in vaccines because, Better safe than sorry, and the conspicuous notation that thimerosal is gone from childhood vaccines with the glaring exception of some flu vaccines, not to mention the claim that the EPA considers medical products containing thimerosal to be hazardous waste, decorated, naturally, a big picture of a biohazard symbol in the background. At one point, he displayed an Erlenmeyer flask full of what looked like liquid mercury, swirling the liquid metal, and then added the mercury into a beaker of water meant to represent a multi-use vial of vaccines to demonstrate how mercury is added to vaccines to prevent bacterial overgrowth that can occur as a result of bacterial seeding that can result from entering the vial with more than one needle. Its one of the dumber visual demonstrations Ive seen on The Dr. Oz Show, and thats saying a lot. Thimerosal is not metallic mercury. One would think that Oz might have picked up a bit of organic chemistry in his premed courses or in medical school.
Much more excellent exposure of how a once great environmentalist has fallen into dumbass woo at the link.
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Anti-vax asshat RFK Jr. on Dr. Oz, promoting his anti-vax asshat book... [View all]
SidDithers
Sep 2014
OP
Daughter of PBS journalist Robert MacNeil and mother of a child with autism (can't shut her up/down)
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#69
The article links to this CDC webpage, please read it. It's factual, nothing objectionable there.
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#112
Your continued support of a criminal and his agenda on DU is sickening.
beam me up scottie
Sep 2014
#131
Not up-to-date? No wonder, blame in-the-weeds material plus media's failure to inform the public.
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#172
no, I asked somebody if it were accurate. Heavens to mergatroid on the hyperbole.
Voice for Peace
Sep 2014
#133
Fracking is also dangerous to the health of millions. Why won't any of you that
rhett o rick
Sep 2014
#185
Depends on the question. I would put people who still press the question of whether vaccines cause
LeftishBrit
Sep 2014
#152
Climate change deniers, Holocaust deniers, Birthers, people who believe ACORN stole the elections...
YoungDemCA
Sep 2014
#180
No problem. I hadn't seen it either until I followed Archae's link and looked around at some of...
xocet
Sep 2014
#22
Who ignores the effects of BPA and other cumulative toxins in food and other products?
Voice for Peace
Sep 2014
#44
Your post is a great way to defeat argument by authority. However, the letter's content is not...
xocet
Sep 2014
#136
not here to debate your point of view, or defend Dr. Oz, who has always given me the creeps
Voice for Peace
Sep 2014
#142
This is why the static Oz got from Congress was well deserved. What makes this even more of a white
still_one
Sep 2014
#7
i wish you were right, but you are wrong. posts on DU have reflected such views
still_one
Sep 2014
#146
Please review post 63. Of course, some would rather go blind than see but I hope you're smarter.
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#186
I probably know 100 physicians personally, and every single one supports vaccination.
ColesCountyDem
Sep 2014
#19
The following graphic makes clear how current official recommended schedules are varied by country.
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#70
You are not up-to-date. In addition to the sources below, look around for audio of #CDCwhistleblower
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#63
NTSA? Let me guess from the source/context: "No Telling Stupid Anything?" Well, I disagree.
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#102
1) #hearthiswell on youtube 2) that Baez song, Diamonds and Rust, 'Then give me another word for it'
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#105
Kennedy calls world-leading immunologists "biostitutes", like prostitutes...
SidDithers
Sep 2014
#27
It will not happen on this website, I think there are too many insecure people here
Tumbulu
Sep 2014
#36
No I am not, and this is just the typical thing- lumping not approving of gmo's in
Tumbulu
Sep 2014
#177
So you admit abusing the alert system to push your point of view. Apparently you don't
rhett o rick
Sep 2014
#149
"but those who believe in vaccines are so terrified" "No arguments are ever won by name-calling."
Thor_MN
Sep 2014
#38
Respectfully, you are wrong: "There actually are plenty of studies showing that vaccines can be
FSogol
Sep 2014
#40
You may be correct about many or most anti-vaxxers, but not all are con men or grifters.
Voice for Peace
Sep 2014
#49
I agree but it's never an effective strategy to attack people in order to change their beliefs.
Voice for Peace
Sep 2014
#57
I don't know if there is or isn't. But there are legitimate stories of damaged children; and it's no
Voice for Peace
Sep 2014
#61
Ironically, its the anti-vaccination movement that refuses to have a real dialogue
YoungDemCA
Sep 2014
#182
You're more concerned with disproven claims of vaccine danger than REAL diseases that kill
Arugula Latte
Sep 2014
#200
Re: "dr" Oz: giving out suspect medical advice should not be allowed on tv
NightWatcher
Sep 2014
#41
You are asking a lot. It's so much more fun to get out tar and feathers than actually
rhett o rick
Sep 2014
#122
Regardless of an improbable autism connection, thimerosal does not belong in children's vaccines.
pnwmom
Sep 2014
#65
did your PHD tell you much mercury you inhale living downwind of a coal-fired power plant?
hobbit709
Sep 2014
#83
One wrong exposure doesn't excuse more -- especially one that's injected directly into
pnwmom
Sep 2014
#87
We don't eat any tuna around here, which is the fish most likely to have high levels.
pnwmom
Sep 2014
#155
I guess no one told you that pregnant women now take flu vaccines with thimerosol,
pnwmom
Sep 2014
#157
Excellent OP as always, Sid. RFK Jr. is a stain on the progressive cause. nt
msanthrope
Sep 2014
#80
I am glad you are so health conscience. How about fracking? Are you as passionate about
rhett o rick
Sep 2014
#96
Don't you agree that fracking is a very serious health concern? Or do you agree with Pres Obama
rhett o rick
Sep 2014
#103
Some feel better if they find someone to tar and feather and heaven help those that try
rhett o rick
Sep 2014
#173
just so there is no confusion, i completely support the use of asshat in this context
La Lioness Priyanka
Sep 2014
#191
Familiar w the following? If not, please investigate further including Youtube #hearthiswell (~340?)
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#198
Then removal of thimerosal from children's vaccines 13 years ago should have affected autism rates
bhikkhu
Sep 2014
#199
It's crushing how misleading a single sentence can be, not to mention paragraphs.
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#201
I cannot imagine disregarding the informed& unequivocal views of CDC scientist Dr William W Thompson
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#205
I cannot imagine ignoring all the science leading away from the thimerosal/autism theory
bhikkhu
Sep 2014
#206
CORRECTION: 'Dr. William Thompson, a senior CDC researcher' 'senior scientist Dr. William Thompson'
proverbialwisdom
Sep 2014
#207
I wonder if he'd recommend "no" to an ebola vaccine to those in Liberia?
TexasMommaWithAHat
Sep 2014
#208
There aren't enough smilies to cover up how un-democratic character assassination is.
Octafish
Sep 2014
#215
If I posted every single time you tried suggesting a DUer was a paid operative
NuclearDem
Sep 2014
#243
Funny how the posters who cry "hero worship" anytime anything positive is said about Obama
zappaman
Sep 2014
#233