Andrew Wakefield - Dishonest lying assbag

Via Orac I saw this great summation of the Andrew Wakefield MMR controversy, and I also found out something about Wakefield I didn't know before.

Apparently, before his paper was published in the Lancet, he had filed a patent for a single measles vaccine. And what did Wakefield recommend after his paper came out? Why, that parents should not use MMR but single vaccines for measles and mumps.

Mother fucker. And the anti-vaccine morons have the cheek to call "Big Pharma" (and by that they mean real science and medicine) dishonest?

This just highlights one point I always try to make to woos and their like when they claim you can't trust a source I or other skeptics give out but you can trust the ones they use:

What makes your source completely trustworthy and reliable when ours aren't and why?

I have never had an answer yet. This is a good example of why.

Christopher Maloney is a quack

Well heck, who am I to argue with PZ Myers?

Christopher Maloney is a quack.

I mean seriously, what kind of addle brained fuckwit claims black elderberries can block the H1N1 virus? Block it how? And where? And when?

Christopher Maloney is a quack.

Did I mention that Christopher Maloney is a quack?

Compulsory Vaccination

Phil Plait over at Bad Astronomy put up an interesting post on Wednesday about compulsory vaccinations. What interested me more than the question was the pattern of responses to it in the comments. The responses interested me more because the question is not that exciting or controversial to me and I agree completely with Phil - yes, vaccines should probably be mandatory. I can't believe people would actually find the idea controversial, and you'll see why as this post goes on (and on and on probably).

First, some preempting of some potential and probable responses:

• Yes, I do have children.
• Yes, they are fully vaccinated for their age.
• No, they have not suffered any side effects other than mild fever shortly after the vaccinations.
• No, they are not autistic.
• Yes, I do know an autistic child.
• No, the autism was not caused by vaccines.
• No, I do not work for any government, Big Pharma organisation, health insurance provider or health care provider.
• Yes, my wife does work as a medical assistant at an obstetrics clinic.
• No, vaccines do not cause autism.
• No, mercury does not cause autism.
• No, Thimerasol does not cause autism.
• No, the vaccine schedule does not cause autism.
• Yes, if you don't vaccinate your child you are an idiot (unless there's a medical reason).