Wired looks at anti-vax nonsense

People say that clinical trials have not been perforemd with H1N1 vaccine, so we can't be sure it is safe. Clinical trials have been performed on the H1N1 vaccine. People say that the inhaled version of the vaccine give you the flu. The inhaled version does not give you the flu. Yes, it is a "live" virus ... but only barely. Don't listen to people. People are not as smart as they think they are.

Anyway, wired magazine is running a major story on this. I've not read the story, but I just saw the author interviewed on msnbc.com and it looks interesting.

More like this

Inhalants are ubiquitous illegal drugs of abuse and a public health problem worldwide. Most lipophilic solvents have some kind of neurotoxicity (some gas anaesthetics, in fact, work based mainly on their lipophilicity, and are only special because of lower toxicity).
The safety and effectiveness of medicines and other health products is dependent upon their proper use, particularly the proper route of administration.
She sat on the exam table looking tired an cranky. Otherwise there wasn't much to note about her appearance---not young, but not old; not thin, but not fat; she didn't smell of smoke or have pet hair on her clothes.
Scott Hensley at the WSJ.com Health Blog had a banner day today with the sad withdrawal by Pfizer of their inhaled insulin product, Exubera.

"people say..."

...is a euphemism for...

"I don't like this so what I will say next is a guaranteed lie".

By NewEnglandBob (not verified) on 21 Oct 2009 #permalink

Actor Jim Carrey calls him a profiteer and distills the doctorâs attitude toward childhood vaccination down to this chilling mantra: âGrab âem and stab âem.â Recently, Carrey and his girlfriend, Jenny McCarthy, went on CNNâs Larry King Live and singled out Offitâs vaccine, RotaTeq, as one of many unnecessary vaccines, all administered, they said, for just one reason: âGreed.â

Abominable cretins.

By AnonymousCoward (not verified) on 21 Oct 2009 #permalink

I think it's just plain weird that vaccine's success is almost its own enemy. Besides that fact that my parents are rational people who believe in science, they had me vaccinated because they remember kids in iron lungs and being stuck inside because of fear of polio. Gen X parents have pretty much never seen anyone get sick from diseases vaccines prevent. Chicken pox is the only one familar to us, it's probably not the most dramic example of why vaccines are good. Most of us who had chicken pox just itched and got to watch extra tv.

By katydid13 (not verified) on 21 Oct 2009 #permalink

I don't think WIRED has links to the current issue. You usually have to wait till it's been on the stands awhile. Every time I've read something in the current issue, and want to share it, I realize I have to scan and email it if I need to do it right away. I guess they worry about newsstand sales being diluted.

Anyway, I read most of the article last night. Hopefully I'll finish it tonight. It was pretty good so far. The interesting point is that it's not a religious based crapola. There tends to be some highly educated people that are anti-vax, and they aren't motivated by supernatural belief systems. It's an interesting subset of the pseudo-science mindset.

Oh, and Orac, are you going to write about the recent article in The Atlantic????? Please?

OK, everybody, settle down. Sometimes Wired articles are visible right away, sometimes not. We just need to stay calm.

By Elizabeth (not verified) on 21 Oct 2009 #permalink