[Discussion] Medical Quackery

This is a follow up to the thread "Medical quackery in the US upsets me very, very much". The aim of this current thread is to take up the discussion on medical quackery (widening the scope since the US isn't the only country concerned), discuss news item pertaining to it and the potential responses to address it.
The definition of medical quackery is not up for debate and includes, among others, homeopathy, vaccine skepticism, naturopathy, crystal healing, psychic healing.

Hobear wrote:

MN Measles outbreak directly linked to miscommunication in the Somali community and wrong belief in the Autism link to vaccines. With an almost 6 month old who will receive the first MMR next week this really annoys me. I can't believe some of my friends on FB who have jumped on the anti vax band wagon. Insisting diets and vitamins are more effective than "dangerous" vaccines...

I just... I can't... *sigh* I weep for humanity. Maybe we *do* deserve a zombie apocalypse or nuclear winter after all.

All together, now! Vaccines do NOT cause autism!

and in some cases even have a preventative correlation instead! but we're a post-fact world now so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Eleima wrote:
Hobear wrote:

MN Measles outbreak directly linked to miscommunication in the Somali community and wrong belief in the Autism link to vaccines. With an almost 6 month old who will receive the first MMR next week this really annoys me. I can't believe some of my friends on FB who have jumped on the anti vax band wagon. Insisting diets and vitamins are more effective than "dangerous" vaccines...

I just... I can't... *sigh* I weep for humanity. Maybe we *do* deserve a zombie apocalypse or nuclear winter after all.

All together, now! Vaccines do NOT cause autism!

Can we add a nutritious diet and vitamins won't keep out polio, smallpox, measles, flu, and every other horrible disease we have under control!!!!

Hobear wrote:

Can we add a nutritious diet and vitamins won't keep out polio, smallpox, measles, flu, and every other horrible disease we havehad under control!!!!

Good point, FTFY on the small point - sadly the antivax movement has resulted in recurrences and surges of things we had nearly eradicated or otherwise had largely under control making this now a past tense claim

Also the fact that the "nutritional supplements' industry is so poorly (or, at all) regulated that you can't even be sure that what's in the bottle is what's on the label.

Some suppliers sign up with and submit to testing from certification organizations like USP, so you can look for those.

À six year old boy died this week if complications of the measles. He had been diagnosed with a form of leukemia, a very treatable form of leukemia with a 85% chance of complete remission. But he and his brothers were not vaccinated and his brothers got the measles and passsed it on to him who had a compromised immune system.
http://www.euronews.com/2017/06/23/c...

Herd immunity. It's no joke, folks.

Eleima wrote:

À six year old boy died this week if complications of the measles. He had been diagnosed with a form of leukemia, a very treatable form of leukemia with a 85% chance of complete remission. But he and his brothers were not vaccinated and his brothers got the measles and passsed it on to him who had a compromised immune system.
http://www.euronews.com/2017/06/23/c...

Herd immunity. It's no joke, folks.

This is happening at an alarming rate. A deadly disease that had, until recently, been 99% eradicated from our country is back. And it's killing children.

Shame on celebrities who ignore the scientific evidence and claim publicly that vaccines are dangerous. Shame on the profiteers who sell books that claim vaccines are dangerous.

Children are dying. Anti-vaccine activist have blood on their hands. Please, get your children vaccinated.

Angrily shaking right now at my keyboard as I debate pressing post on my moronic Aunt's facebook page. Quoting some quackery naturalnews.com post that Egypt has confirmed the Autism link to vaccines. The post only harps on the same things that everyone states but with no facts. I wrote up that she should know kids are dying because of these posts.

Hobear wrote:

Angrily shaking right now at my keyboard as I debate pressing post on my moronic Aunt's facebook page. Quoting some quackery naturalnews.com post that Egypt has confirmed the Autism link to vaccines. The post only harps on the same things that everyone states but with no facts. I wrote up that she should know kids are dying because of these posts.

Not to mention that the FDA banned the use of mercury-containing (in trace amounts) thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines for children in 1999.

I've seen that one going around too. It's the same half a dozen people every time. I am resigned to the fact that I will never get through to them.

I've found that there's little that can be done to combat willful ignorance.

I don't care what you say. LalalalalalaIcanthearyou!!!

OG_slinger wrote:
Hobear wrote:

Angrily shaking right now at my keyboard as I debate pressing post on my moronic Aunt's facebook page. Quoting some quackery naturalnews.com post that Egypt has confirmed the Autism link to vaccines. The post only harps on the same things that everyone states but with no facts. I wrote up that she should know kids are dying because of these posts.

Not to mention that the FDA banned the use of mercury-containing (in trace amounts) thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines for children in 1999.

WAIT!! IF THIMEROSAL WAS SAFE, WHY WAS IT TAKEN OUT OF VACCINES! THAT'S PROOF! YOU'RE ALL IN ON IT, AREN'T YOU? [/sarcasm]

edit: Thimerosal was never actually dangerous. There are many forms of mercury, many of which are harmless. Thimerosal happens to be one of the forms of mercury that is perfectly safe for human exposure. The mercury that pollutes our oceans is the poisonous type, sadly.

RawkGWJ wrote:
OG_slinger wrote:
Hobear wrote:

Angrily shaking right now at my keyboard as I debate pressing post on my moronic Aunt's facebook page. Quoting some quackery naturalnews.com post that Egypt has confirmed the Autism link to vaccines. The post only harps on the same things that everyone states but with no facts. I wrote up that she should know kids are dying because of these posts.

Not to mention that the FDA banned the use of mercury-containing (in trace amounts) thimerosal as a preservative in vaccines for children in 1999.

WAIT!! IF THIMEROSAL WAS SAFE, WHY WAS IT TAKEN OUT OF VACCINES! THAT'S PROOF! YOU'RE ALL IN ON IT, AREN'T YOU? [/sarcasm]

edit: Thimerosal was never actually dangerous. There are many forms of mercury, many of which are harmless. Thimerosal happens to be one of the forms of mercury that is perfectly safe for human exposure. The mercury that pollutes our oceans is the poisonous type, sadly.

What no Thimerosal haiku?

Thimerosal's safe
Stopped use to appease them
F*ck anti-vaxxers

Jenny McCarthy,
You are a baby killer.
Repent, foolish blond!

How was that?

RawkGWJ wrote:

Jenny McCarthy,
You are a baby killer.
Repent, foolish blond!

How was that?

Insert one of many clapping gifs

RawkGWJ wrote:

Jenny McCarthy,
You are a baby killer.
Repent, foolish blond!

How was that?

I'd take out the dig at her hair color and replace it with
Repent utter fool!

Why Homeopathy is nonsense (The Economist)
Haven't gotten around to reading it because I've viewed too many article as is. But gathering from the headline. Even the Economist gets it.

I know it's not the video page, but it must be posted.

One of the departments I oversee for my state is notary commissions. I had a message the other day from an epidemiologist with our state health dept. She's working on guidelines for parents who claim religious reasons for not vaxxing their kids and she wants some guidance from me on how to help these parents find notaries in the state. She's an epidemiologist. Trying to help people not vax their children. I have yet to actually speak to her, and I'm not looking forward to it. I'ma be like "I dunno, tell them to pray for one?"

Maybe this flow will help SillyRabbit;
Is your reason for not vaccinating your child(ren) based on spiritual or religious beliefs?

if yes; vaccinate your damn child, chances are your religion says your god will forgive this even if it is erroneous in that god's eyes plus you'll help out your fellow neighbors which, chances are, your religion also says you should do

if no; unless the reason is based on demonstrable allergies or other health conditions which prohibit your child from receiving vaccinations vaccinate your damn child. If it is, talk to your doctor about other options for your child's situation.

Unfortunately, the only input they want from me is the answer to: Where can I find a notary so that I can submit the forms that allow me to not vaccinate my child?

Need I mention I live in one of the yellow states in the John Oliver video?

I still think it would just be better to herd all the unvaccinated kids together and let the Old Sick reap through them like a buzz saw. They're not going to get vaccinated anyway, and this way preserves herd immunity for the vulnerable.

SillyRabbit, can you skew it to places like hospitals, clinics and the like?

LarryC wrote:

I still think it would just be better to herd all the unvaccinated kids together and let the Old Sick reap through them like a buzz saw. They're not going to get vaccinated anyway, and this way preserves herd immunity for the vulnerable.

*Can't tell if serious.gif*

Quite a modest proposal, I'll bet Jonathan Swift would like to shake your hand.

Mixolyde wrote:
LarryC wrote:

I still think it would just be better to herd all the unvaccinated kids together and let the Old Sick reap through them like a buzz saw. They're not going to get vaccinated anyway, and this way preserves herd immunity for the vulnerable.

*Can't tell if serious.gif*

Quite a modest proposal, I'll bet Jonathan Swift would like to shake your hand.

Pretty sure Larry's serious, he's talked about this before. At the same time, I can't think of any other way to stop unvaccinated kids from harming (unintentionally) kids who can't be vaccinated for health reasons.

Robear wrote:

SillyRabbit, can you skew it to places like hospitals, clinics and the like?

That's a great idea Robear!

Maybe even universities and community colleges...