The Huffington Post: a clearing house of alt-med nonsense
I used to write for the Huffington Post, an online news and blog collective. It was started by Arianna Huffington during the Bush Era as a response to all the far-right online media. I didn’t agree with a lot of what was on there — I am more centrist — but at the time I thought it was necessary.
Then they started to promote far-left New Age nonsense, and when it came to vaccinations, HuffPo started posting all kinds of opinions that amounted to nothing more than out-and-out health threats. While they do sometimes post a counter-argument, it’s still almost all alt-med, all the time.
Here’s the latest: a doctor named Frank Lipman is telling people not to get vaccinated against Swine Flu. Instead he says you should wash your hands a lot, eat well, and take homeopathic medicine.
Yes, seriously. And he does it while spouting quite a few of the standard antivax memes, like the flu won’t be that bad (maybe he should consult with Dr. Joe Albietz, who I’m sure would disagree) and my favorite, we don’t know how well the vaccine will work. In fact, the vaccine for Swine Flu is based on many decades of research on how vaccines are produced, and will certainly work better than Dr. Lipman’s homeopathic "medicine" which we know is just plain old water, and totally useless. I’ll note that on his own site he promotes acupuncture and chiropractic, too.
It’s the peddling of antivax rhetoric like this that drove me from HuffPo, and I’ve let them know why. I was a minor cog there, so I know it made no difference… and the proof is that they still post articles promoting procedures known to be useless. In fact, it’s worse than that, since someone might try the homeopathic water rather than get actual treatment.
So, as always, don’t listen to people like Lipman, or even to me when it comes to this stuff. Instead, go to your doctor, a board-certified and science-based doctor, and ask them about the H1N1 swine flu, and see if they recommend getting the shot. And yes, as soon as it’s available here I’ll get vaccinated, as will my wife and daughter. We talked to a real doctor about it, and we understand the threat of H1N1, and we understand what vaccines do.
Originally posted on the Bad Astronomy blog. Tip o’ the syringe to Dan Gilbert and Richard Saunders. Note added after I wrote this: Mike’s Weekly Skeptical Rant has also weighed in on Lipman, and Salon.com has an article excoriating HuffPo as well.
I’m getting my yearly flu shots tomorrow. Which is fortunate for my husband, who has MS, and now refuses to get flu shots, because of bullsh*t like HuffPo pushes. Considering what viral infections do to people with MS, people like Lipman could be responsible for crippling my husband.
I’m sure they’ll cry all the way to the bank.
I am completely for getting vaccines, but i will not be getting the first round of swine flu ones. I understand that they are created using the same tried and true methods as other vaccines and i understand the huge benefits compared to the small risk. However, this is also the first run of the Swine Flu vaccine. It has been pushed through production rapidly to compete with the predicted issue, and as such, i dont feel nearly as confident in it. Next year i will get it for sure, but for now i will let me body do its work. If i get it i will treat it as needed- like the normal flu, only difference is i should quarantine myself so i dont be a dick and spread it. while i dont agree with this doctors opinion, i do think there is merit in not getting it.
Because it’s new, the swine flu vaccine has undergone clinical trials which, as I recall, are not required for the seasonal flu vaccine.
I don’t see what the merit is in not getting it. Even if it is not effective at all, you are in the same place as you are now. If you get it and it *does* work, you get to avoid a miserable week or more of *awful*. I know a guy who got H1N1, he’s a pretty healthy young adult and it was *bad*. I’m getting my flu shot this year for sure.
I think he/she might have been more concerned about some negative side effects other than the efficacy. I personally will get it as soon as it is available, there have been several recent deaths of teenagers here in the DFW area due to H1N1.
Asking a doctor is all well and good, but there comes a point where you need to do your own research, as some doctors tend to push pills a bit harder than is necessary (Note: This is not to say that I am anti-medicine — modern medicine is wonderful and has saved my life).
For instance, several years ago, I voiced to my doctor my intentions to quit smoking. The doctor then proceeded to tell me that I ought to take Chantix, a new anti-smoking drug. Being a bit leery of psychiatric drugs from a previous bad experience, I decided that I would at least try to get a chance to look up the medicine. When I told this to my doctor, he immediately tore into me, and began pushing me to take the medicine. At one point he even said “Well, the nicotine is already going to those receptors in your brain, how is another drug any different?”
Well, as I found out later, the other drug can be very different. In my research I saw a lot of evidence linking Chantix to depression, anxiety, hallucinations, psychosis, suicide, and even a case of homicide. Was any of this conclusive? No, but I made the decision for myself that the risk was not worth it, and I quit smoking with the help of Nicorette and will power.
The point is, you can’t ever really trust anyone to make decisions for you in these sorts of things. Gather all the information, and make your own decision. Just make sure you are careful where you get your information, as not all opinions are created equally. Alternative medicine is called “alternative” because it does not work. When an alternative therapy is shown to work it becomes… wait for it… MEDICINE!!
I’ll likely end up getting the H1N1 vaccine simply because I am within the healthy age range population cohorts who seem to get knocked on their @$$ when infected with H1N1. I’ve never bothered with the standard seasonal flu vaccines because I simply never saw the point of getting vaccinated against something that might give me a headache and the sniffles for 3 – 5 days. The fact that a number of people within my age group who have contracted N1H1 have ended up in hospital on respirators, of which there are only a small number of these machines in any given city, is telling enough. People seems to think that the whole H1N1 issue is over-hyped, but like SARS, when your entire contingency plan for a massive pandemic depends on a limited supply of machines, then preventing the pandemic from spreading via vaccination seems like a reasonable approach.
People who fail to take these issues into account and ignorant and deluded. If the government were to somehow fail in putting protections and pandemic plans in place, resulting in a higher infection and death rate, people would be complaining out the wazzoo with regards to the so-called lack of planning. Now that we, at least, have a vaccine on the market, people will complain about the over-hyping of the virus, claiming conspiracy theories, corporate influence, and the Alt.Med/Anti-Vaxers now have a new devil to fry. Sigh.
“Instead he says you should wash your hands a lot, eat well, and take homeopathic medicine.”
I know the perfect homeopathic medicine to prevent the flu. It’s that same flu virus that’s killed and diluted.
Good point Max. He might have to get the Dr to shake it a little first though.
The board-certified doctor will probably parrot the CDC recommendations.
Family doctors know several things: medical guidelines (which are hopefully science-based), personal experience (which is less science-based), what they learned in med school, and which drug company pays for their family vacation.
Many don’t have the time or even the training to stay updated on the latest research.
i can’t help my skepticism. it even extends toward newly-pushed vaccines/meds. i find it odd that so many skeptics suspend disbelief over a new vaccine. is it because they don’t want to be seen as anti-vaxxer?
homeopathic meds will obv get you nowhere, but washing your hands and using sanitizer certainly will. like someone else mentioned, i’d like to see how the new vaccine works. who’s even HAD it yet??
no one in my family, luckily, has ever had any flu (AFAIK – who would have gone to get tested before now? no one i know.)
the worst my immediate family has ever had is that upper respiratory cold virus where you almost inevitably end up losing your voice.
if that is a seasonal flu, then we’ve been getting it for many many years, and i’m practically immune to it now.
I’ve had the seasonal flu about 4 times in the last 40 years, and believe me, you would know it when you’ve had it. Either you and your family have excellent immune systems, or have been very lucky. I hope your luck continues.
“i find it odd that so many skeptics suspend disbelief over a new vaccine”
It’s not a matter of suspension of disbelief. When something is well tested and shown to be safe, with no evidence suggesting that it isn’t, there’s really no reason to inject distrust.
If our definition of “a new vaccine that’s been rushed to market” is a vaccine with a new strain of the virus in it, then I suppose we have a “new” vaccine every single year. There’s really no big difference. We know how to make vaccines, we know what they do, and we know what the risks are.
All the evidence suggests that a vaccinated person is safer than an unvaccinated one. One can’t see that and rationally conclude exactly the opposite.
You answered your own question. That cold virus is not the flu.
Hand washing is probably less effective at preventing flu than colds.
If you’re under 65, you’re not immune to swine flu.
I’d wager that the flu is deadlier than the vaccine.
That was a reply to kabol.
Hand washing is probably less effective at preventing flu than colds.
hand washing is one of the top flu (and swine flu AFAIK) prevention methods mentioned by the medical community. whether it’s less effective or not between those specific viruses wouldn’t be something i’d know for sure. i wonder if anyone does…
i’d still like to see the numbers on who has actually had the h1n1 vaccine, if anyone, and how things are going for them. kudos for them being guinea pigs for the rest of us.
i’m kind of shocked that so many people are so eager to get the vaccine – particularly if they don’t even fall into the parameters set to describe the people who are supposed to get the vaccine first.
Uh … could it be because we’ve had flu before and have jobs and don’t want to lose them or be really sick and miserable or even risk serious complications?
I’m not pregnant or immune-compromised, but I was born after 1976 and have zero immunity to swine flu … so if my employer offers it, I will get it. Do NOT feel like getting pneumonia!
(And a bout with seasonal flu in 2004 was all the convincing I needed to get seasonal flu shots. Five days high fever and fever dreams, two weeks on my ass recovering. NOT fun.)
This does make me wonder where all this pro-woowoo/anti-medical wave is going…
Eradicated diseases making a comeback, pseudo-science based remedies that make medieval “bleedings” look intelligent, conspiracy theories abounding on science based medicine… it has to make one scratch ones head! Are we heading back into the dark ages?
On a personal note I can proudly say I am up to date on ALL my vaccinations, I get my flu shot every year (I work for the fire dept and we run EMS calls so we’re exposed to sick people daily) and the minute the h1n1 vaccine is available here, I’ll be the first in line to get it!!!
Just to clarify, the 2009 pandemic A H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine was not “rushed” any more than the usual seasonal flu vaccine. It takes nine months to get the seasonal vaccine out, the first three of which are researching and planning on what strains to include. With swine flu, when it emerged, the scientists analyzed it and know with a fairly high degree of certainty, what’s going on with the proteins (the “H” and “N”). What that means is that it’s only really the six-month prep time to actually make the stuff that makes it seem “rushed”.
It’s because they know so well what the swine flu is composed of that up to 95% of people should have protective antibodies after one dose. It is both safe and effective, and that’s the skeptical and practical approach.
They had to manufacture more doses than usual, in addition to the seasonal flu vaccine, so yes it was rushed. It’s reasonable to expect a higher than usual chance of problems like contamination.
How do you know it’s safe?
If I may quote from this article:
That said, because the full clinical testing regimen won’t be complete, and the first vaccine batches will be given out as the testing is completed, the WHO advises:
So they’re expecting the best and telling everyone to be on guard just in case. That’s good planning, in my opinion.
In other words, they will complete the testing on the folks who are first in line to get the vaccine.
As kabol said, “kudos for them being guinea pigs for the rest of us.”
So, what you’re saying, in essence, is that you distrust science, specifically the vaccine making process to such a degree that, after decades of doing it yearly with a new vaccine every year and essentially no unpredicted injuries, the one year that they have to make one extra type – which they know the nearly exact type to match – you believe it to be dangerous enough to not take.
Feel free to hold that opinion.
Science involves hypothesis testing, or model validation, not faith. I distrust any model or process that lacks validation. Without feedback from validation, all we have are hypotheses or speculation. You said yourself that “the first vaccine batches will be given out as the testing is completed.” This should not be reassuring to the early adopters.
For example, it would be unacceptable for the vaccine to kill one in a thousand people. I may speculate that it doesn’t, but I’d have more confidence if it was tested on more than a thousand people and didn’t kill anyone. Hence, like kabol, I’d like to see the numbers on who has actually had the h1n1 vaccine.
So, what you’re saying, in essence, is that you distrust science, specifically the vaccine making process to such a degree that, after decades of doing it yearly with a new vaccine every year and essentially no unpredicted injuries, the one year that they have to make one extra type – which they know the nearly exact type to match – you believe it to be dangerous enough to not take.
bigheathenmike, you’re making a rather large leap with what you think max is saying.
a very large leap indeed.
fwiw, this version of the H1N1 virus is indeed a new one, as is its vaccine.
I understand what you’re saying, and to a certain extent, I do agree. However, with vaccines (seasonal and this pandemic strain), it’s not like inventing a brand new kind of car every year – it’s a new model of the same car. Yes, testing is necessary, but this is a product that has been around for a long time with only predictable side-effects.
Again, I get why people are hesitant, but I honestly think the hesitation is based on not fully understanding the process. When a majority of infectious disease doctors (and doctors in general) who deal with this every year – every day, even – are recommending and getting the vaccine, my trust level goes up. If 80% of mechanics were saying that the fan belts on ’87 Chevy Novas were notorious for repeatedly breaking, I’d believe them.
I guess it comes down to where your personal line for “enough evidence” lies. It appears as though yours and mine are in different places, but not my much.
Speaking of cars, last week Toyota announced its largest ever US recall of cars including the 2007-2010 Camry, but not older Camry models. The reason? Their new weatherproof floor mat can snare the gas pedal and cause high-speed crashes. So there’s your new model of the same car.
Max, you said way up above there that, “Because it’s new, the swine flu vaccine has undergone clinical trials which, as I recall, are not required for the seasonal flu vaccine,” in response to a commenter saying s/he wasn’t getting the swine flu vaccine, so you’re obviously aware of the testing that’s happening. You also said, “If you’re under 65, you’re not immune to swine flu. I’d wager that the flu is deadlier than the vaccine.”
Now, you’re arguing with me that the 2009 H1N1 vaccine is rushed, may have problems, and may be not worth getting. Which point are you trying to make?
To the car analogy. I fear I may push it too far by saying that, with respect to the Toyota situation, it was a *lot* like making a new product altogether, or, more specifically, giving the production of the car (vaccine) to an unqualified team. My evidence:
So when you have highly qualified teams making something they’re very good at (like flu researchers), the risk of having a problem is very small. Give that research to newbies who are trying to catch up to company protocols and yes, there may be problems.
You said it yourself, “I’d wager that the flu is deadlier than the vaccine.” I’m not saying be a blind follower, but the technology is proven and the manufacturers are under intense scrutiny to make a safe and effective product. I’ll rethink the safety if there’s an issue.
As far as I can tell, the clinical trials validated the vaccine’s efficacy, but I’m not so sure about safety. It depends on the number of test subjects. If it was tested on fewer than a thousand people, then how can we be sure that it doesn’t kill one in a thousand people?
I’d wager that it’s safe for the reasons you’ve given, but that’s speculation. For all I know, the manufacturers had to cut corners. I didn’t expect a stupid redesigned floor mat to cause fatal car crashes either.
True enough about the floor mats.
As for safety, I found the early results from this trial including 849 people (under a thousand, but promising results):
Not bad.
If people want to not get the vaccine because of leeriness, that’s a personal decision. That decision carries with it the responsibility of quarantining oneself at the very first sign of illness, keeping up on hand-washing, and the other suggestions by the CDC. Apart from that, there’s nothing else for me to say.
Thanks for this exchange, by the way. It was fun to explore the ideas and arguments without the (sadly) usual personal insults and bullshit. This has been a good time!
Good enough. Antivaxx is crap, but seems to be rather popular in recent years. Kind of comical really.
I have nothing against vaccines myself, but I’ve just never needed them; although my children will be vaccinated because of their ages. On the other side, a proper diet, hygiene and exercise has never hurt anyone’s immunity, to my knowledge.
Perhaps responsibility with one’s own body comes into play somewhere? Nevermind, perish the thought, that would be too close to “personal accountability”, and we’ll have none of that in this country.