Medical “Experts” Were Wrong About the Safety of Opioids
Story Highlights Addiction to and death from prescription painkillers is now a public health crisis in the United States. In the early 1990s, medical “experts” and “thought leaders” made claims convincing the medical community and the public that prescription painkillers were non-addictive when used in the long-term. Financial conflict of interest between opioid manufacturers and […]
The Pill Pitch
Prescription drugs help many people and even save lives. But use of prescription drugs as prescribed is also a leading cause of death in the U.S. Are some pharmaceutical companies skirting TV ad rules so that they don’t have to disclose side effects of some vaccines and other prescription medicine? Some critics say “yes.” And […]
Executive Order Creates Influenza Vaccine Task Force to Promote “National Security and Public Health”
On Sept. 19, 2019, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order, “Modernizing Influenza Vaccines in the United State to Promote National Security and Public Health.” Describing mass use of influenza vaccines “to combat seasonal flu” and influenza pandemics as “strengthening our Nation’s public health and security,” he announced the establishment of a National Influenza Vaccine […]
A Glimpse of the World Before Vaccines
A common historical theme has emerged in many recent articles about this year’s measles outbreak in the United States. It is perhaps best exemplified by the headline in an opinion piece in National Geographic magazine: “The world before vaccines is a world we can’t afford to forget.” The theme is meant to emphasize the importance […]
Silent Carriers of Measles Are Never Diagnosed or Reported
Story Highlights The elimination of religious exemptions to vaccination in some states like New York are forcing parents to make the untenable choice between violating their deeply held religious or spiritual beliefs or uprooting their lives and either homeschooling their children or moving to another state. With the focus on a number of measles cases […]
The Dose Makes the Poison in Pet Vaccines
Story Highlights Almost all states in the U.S. require certain core vaccines for companion animals including dogs, cats and ferrets, with many expected to be repeated annually. Vaccine dosages are given on a one-size-fits-all basis, so that Chihuahua puppies and full grown Mastiffs receive the same amount of vaccine. Despite data showing that small breeds […]