Why would anyone do that?

[Dan]

I bet he makes a lot more money with voodoo. Just look at Dr. Oz

Hmm cardiology. Long hours, lots of calls at night. Lots of old people translates to Medicare which barely covers operating costs.Most of your patients will die of the disease you are treating them for. Holistic BS: Cash only, work only the hours you want, no nights or weekends. Patients will believe whatever nonsense you tell them and take their snake oil unlike their actual heart meds. And cardiology is one of the more lucrative specialties.

 

[Alex2507]

Dr. Oz is a quack?

How about Dr. Phil?

 

[lsiberian]

Dr. Oz is a quack?

How about Dr. Phil?

He's actually a legit doctor with plenty of good advice, but he definitely makes more from the TV show than he did in his practice. He has been known to sell questionable supplements and give some oddball advice. For example he once said Apple Juice was laced with arsenic.

 

[Dan]

Another part of the problem is that parent's today didn't grow up with these diseases since the vaccines were widely available and few missed out on them. In my day you couldn't go to school without them and I had a vaccine for rubella (?MMR) in the third grade given BY the school system. Since the more ignorant parent's today don't see the disease as an actual threat they don't bother vaccinating. Our parent's did remember the diseases and were anxious to avoid them in their children. The tremendous success of the polio vaccines paved the way for the others.

The solution is simple but the states righters in Congress would never go for it. No kid may attend a public school without the vaccine unless there is a MEDICALLY viable reason for not receiving it such as allergy to the components of the vaccine or immune disorder. Personal choice is not an adequate excuse for a public health issue.

 

[Dan]

And perhaps the last word on the subject:

http://www.theonion.com/articles/i-dont-vaccinate-my-child-because-its-my-right-to,37839/

 

[Swerd]

I was going to launch into an explanation of herd immunity, and why the vaccine deniers are actually threatening herd immunity against measles.

But then I saw the Onion article you posted . I'd love it if it actually was the last word.

 

[Dan]

Well I do seem to have a unique ability to kill a thread

 

[psbfan9]

I'd be glad to try and explain, but I'm not sure whether you're asking about my comment on CS and JW religions

The comment in bold.

 

[KEW]

For example he once said Apple Juice was laced with arsenic.

I've never seen Dr. Oz, but Apple Juice definitely has arsenic in it. The FDA has set a limit and monitors levels (I assume a random sampling program).

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

Dr OZ's advice sometimes is borderline insane. Like "magical" green coffee beans for loosing weight. Google if you are curious where that one ended up

 

[Rickster71]

The solution is simple but the states righters in Congress would never go for it. No kid may attend a public school without the vaccine unless there is a MEDICALLY viable reason for not receiving it such as allergy to the components of the vaccine or immune disorder. Personal choice is not an adequate excuse for a public health issue.

Correct me if I'm wrong.
I was of the understanding many states already do that.
They get choice regarding the shots, however cannot attend school without them.
That's the law in NJ anyway.

 

[Rickster71]

another expert heard from ...
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/02/chris-christie-vaccination-comments

Seems like there's nothing our duplicitous politicians won't say while running for president.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/04/dr_obama_and_dr_mccain.html

 

[Rickster71]

He's actually a legit doctor with plenty of good advice, but he definitely makes more from the TV show than he did in his practice. He has been known to sell questionable supplements and give some oddball advice. For example he once said Apple Juice was laced with arsenic.

He's done what 90% of all humans would do if in the same situation. Followed the money.
Everyone has a price.
Dr Oz was / is a very good cardiologist. After he got on the boob tube he gained a rabid following.
Everything he touched or recommended was bought up by his TV fanatics.
Anyone remember the real-state expert Sonny Bloch? Similar story:
http://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/12/business/irwin-sonny-bloch-61-dies-bilked-radio-show-listeners.html

 

[Rickster71]

I hope science does not and never will take advice from religious interests.

It's just as bad when they follow financial or political interests.
Years ago, science was on both sides of the tobacco debate. A quick search will net anyone interested old advertisements with doctors smoking a Camel to unwind after surgery.
Science was on both sides of the debate to purchase Alaska for $0.02 an acre.
The fools that blindly follow religion are rapidly being replaced by fools following Junk Science.
It's always been too difficult for the average emotional citizen to tell a difference.

 

[psbfan9]

And it continues;

The nut didn't fall far from the tree. Rand Paul says, "Vaccines cause mental disorders". Maybe they did in his family, but geeeeessssshhhhhhh! The nutters are out in force on this topic.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/politics/paul-vaccines-can-cause-mental-disorders/31058138

 

[Rickster71]

And it continues;

The nut didn't fall far from the tree. Rand Paul says, "Vaccines cause mental disorders". Maybe they did in his family, but geeeeessssshhhhhhh! The nutters are out in force on this topic.

http://www.wsbt.com/news/politics/paul-vaccines-can-cause-mental-disorders/31058138

Politicians aren't crazy or stupid. They're reaching out to people that may not vote, then turning them into emotional people that do.
This irrational, emotional fear if well cultivated, will turn into a large scientific study on Vaccines that will need lucrative funding.

 

[Rickster71]

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[Swerd]

The comment in bold, CS and JW.

I wanted to distinguish between two types of groups who object to vaccination. There are religious groups, such as CS, JW, or others. And there are non-religious groups such as the anti-vaxxers who oppose vaccination out of personal, but not religious, belief.

The US Constitution is clear about religious freedom. No laws, federal, state, or local, that block religious practice or promote one religion over others are permitted. One can disagree with their ideas, but no one can deny them the right to practice their religions.

But that does not apply to the personal belief anti-vaxxers. And because of their numbers, they are the greater danger. (See my next post on Herd Immunity.)

 

[Swerd]

Yesterday I was ready to talk about Herd Immunity, but thought maybe that was getting too deep into things. I could imagine everyone’s eyes glazing over. After I saw The Onion article that Dan linked, I thought that’s a good last word.

Then I read in the newspaper this morning how two politicians (Rand Paul and Chris Christy, both in the running for President in 2016) have spoken out on this issue. And I got really mad at them. How dare they try to play political football with this! I would love the chance to speak to them face-to-face on this, and say “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?”

What is Herd Immunity? Of those who do get vaccinated, not everyone develops immunity. Nothing is 100% in biology. Some people have allergies or medical conditions that put them at risk, others have medical conditions that block developing an immune response, and others have religious reasons (such as Christian Scientists, Jehovas Witnesses or others) to avoid vaccination that are legitimate under US law. And as we’ve seen recently, some refuse vaccination for irrational reasons. Unfortunately California and some other states protect this last type of vaccine refusal.

Read more about herd immunity here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herd_immunity

To prevent the spread of contagious diseases, only a small fraction of the population (or herd) can be left unvaccinated. This is best reserved only for those who cannot safely receive vaccines, those who don’t have functioning immune systems, or those who have legitimate religious reasons.

Because the measles vaccine is not 100% effective, epidemiologists have tried to answer this question: If one person with measles enters a population that is not sick, what percent of that population has to be immunized to prevent spreading measles?

For measles, Herd Immunity is believed to kick in when 83-94% of the population is immunized (see the table on the Wikipedia link). If enough people choose to avoid vaccination for “personal belief” reasons, it can threaten herd immunity. We may have already gone below that threshold.

 

[Irvrobinson]

He's actually a legit doctor with plenty of good advice

Dr. Phil is not an MD psychiatrist, he has a PhD in psychology.