MD, PhD, MAE, FMedSci, FRSB, FRCP, FRCPEd.

medical ethics

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The General Chiropractic Council (GCC) has signed a memorandum of understanding with NHS England, the Crown Prosecution Service and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to collaborate where there is suspected criminal activity on the part of a GCC member in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making.

I find this interesting and most laudable!

But I also have seven questions, e.g.:

  1. Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor explains that the patient’s problem is caused by a subluxation of the spine, an entity that does not even exist? Apparently this happens every day.
  2. Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor treats a patient without prior informed consent? Apparently, this happens regularly.
  3. Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor fails to warn a patient that his/her manipulations can cause harm and even put him/her in a wheelchair? Apparently this (the lack of warning) happens all the time, and some chiropractors even insist that their manipulations are entirely safe.
  4. Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor claims that spinal manipulations are effective for curing the patient’s problem, while the evidence does not support the claim? Apparently this happens more often than not.
  5. Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor persuades a patient to have expensive long-term maintenance therapy for preventing health problems, while the evidence for that appoach is less than convincing? Apparently this happens rather frequently.
  6. Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if the chiropractor issues advice that is both outside his/her competence and detrimental to the health of the patient (for instance, advising parents not to vaccinate their kids)? Apparently this happens a lot.
  7. Does it amount to criminal activity in relation to the provision of clinical care or care decision-making, if a chiropractor advises a patient not to do what a real doctor told him/her to do? Apparently this is far from a rare occurance.

I would be most grateful, if the GCC would take the time to answer the above questions.

Many thanks in advaance.

“An American doctor invented a drug that claims to cure COPD within three days.” Does this announcement herald a medical sensation or a bogus and potentially dangerous falsehood?

The inventors proudly opt for the former: “we have created a revolutionary pill that combines over 60 natural herbs specifically designed to treat respiratory diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic bronchitis, and pulmonary fibrosis”

There are also videos promoting a “revolutionary pill” that allegedly cured chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) “within three days” went viral on Facebook. The videos featured public figures like Fox News anchor Jesse Watters, as well as the alleged developer of the drug, surgeon and TV personality Mehmet Oz, popularly known as “Dr. Oz”. Although the images used in the videos varied from post to post, all the videos we found used the exact same narration and promised “to pay one million dollars” if the drug failed to cure COPD. However, these videos showed clear signs of manipulation.

Altered or artificial intelligence-generated videos featuring celebrities and major TV networks have been profusely used for scams over the past few years. Science Feedback documented several examples of such doctored videos falsely promoting diabetes cures and cannabidiol (CBD) gummies as a treatment for a wide range of medical conditions. “Dr. Oz” has often been mentioned either as a developer of these products or as endorsing them, though he’s repeatedly denied any involvement in these ads. In a 2019 article for the Wall Street Journal that he also shared on Facebook and Twitter, Oz stated that these ads weren’t “legit” and warned about potential scams exploiting his image.

Likewise, the COPD videos posted on Facebook are also false. First, COPD currently has no known cure, so any product claiming to cure it is simply a scam. Second, the poor synchronization between video and audio suggests that the audio isn’t authentic.

SCIENCE FEEDBACK‘ thus conclused as follows:

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic progressive lung disease for which no cure currently exists. Along with medication, lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, avoiding polluted environments, and keeping physically active can help manage the symptoms and slow down the progression of the disease. Products claiming to cure COPD are deceptive and potentially dangerous, as they may contain harmful ingredients or interact with medications in unpredictable ways.

I could not agree more and might add that – as always in suspect cases – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Crusade Against Naturopathy” (Kreuzzug gegen Naturheilkunde) is the title of a recent article (in German – so, I translated for you) published in ‘MULTIPOLAR‘. It is a defence of – no, not naturopathy – quackery. The authors first defend the indefencible Heilpraktiker. Subsequently, they address what they call ‘The Homeopathy Controversy‘. This is particularly ridiculous because homeopathy is not a form of naturopathy. Yes, it uses some natural materials, but it also employs any synthetic substance that you can think of.

The section on homeopathy contains many more amusing surprises; therefore, I have translated it for you [and added a few numers in square brackets that refer to my brief comments below]:

According to a representative survey conducted by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research in 2023, 35 per cent of homeopathy users are fully convinced of its effectiveness, while 55 per cent rate it as partially effective. Only nine per cent of respondents described homeopathic medicines as completely ineffective. [1]

Nevertheless, Health Minister Karl Lauterbach announced at the beginning of 2024 that he wanted to abolish homeopathy as a health insurance benefit. Stefan Schmidt-Troschke, paediatrician and managing director of the ‘Gesundheit Aktiv Association’, then launched a petition for the preservation of homeopathic medicines as statutory benefits in statutory health insurance. The petition was signed by more than 200,000 people. In March 2024, the cancellation of homeopathy and anthroposophic medicines as additional statutory benefits was revoked. [2]

Shortly afterwards, in May 2024, the ‘German Medical Assembly’ passed a motion against homeopathy to bring about a total ban for doctors. Dr Marc Hanefeld, official supporter of the ‘Informationsnetzwerk Homöopathie’, was behind the motion. Doctors should be banned from practising homeopathy in future, as well as billing via statutory and private health insurance. [3]

The case of the Charité University Hospital in Berlin shows just how much influence opponents of homeopathy have: for years, the hospital’s website stated ‘that homeopathic medicine can cure or improve even the most serious conditions’. After fierce protests – including from the health journalism portal MedWatch – the statement was removed. [4]

My comments:

  1. Effectiveness is not something to be quantified by popular votes. Responsible healthcare professionals employ rigorous clinical trials for that purpose.
  2. Lauterbach caved in because of the pressure from the Green Party and insists that his plans are merely postponed.
  3. The ‘German Medical Assembly’ decided that the use of homoeopathy in diagnostics and therapy does not constitute rational medicine. German doctors continue to be free to practice homeopathy, if they so wish.
  4. The notion that ‘homeopathic medicine can cure or improve even the most serious conditions’ is so obviously and dangerously wrong that it had to be corrected. This has little to do with the influence of opponents but is due to the influence of the evidence.

I feel that, if proponents of homeopathy want to save their beloved quackery from the face of the earth, they could at least get their facts right and think of some agruments that are a little less ridiculous.

 

I came across this remarkable chapter entitled “Reiki in Companion Animals “. As it comes from the Department of Clinical Studies and the Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, PMAS Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, the paper ought to be taken seriously, I thought. It seems that I was mistaken!

Here is the unaltered abstract:

The word “Reiki” is derived from two Japanese words “Rei” and “kei” meaning spiritually guided life energy. Reiki helps an individual to feel from disease, grow emotionally, spiritually and mentally. In case of animal, Reiki helps to build trust between pets and owner, promotes healing decrease psychological issues and keep an animal healthy. The major energies Reiki attunement include earth energy, heavenly energy and heart energy. Furthermore, the three degrees of chakra i.e., the heart chakra, the throat chakra and third eye chakra, allow an individual to love unconditionally, open path to consciousness and build trust, respectively. Some practitioner in Reiki train for years to understand the energy and how to navigate delicate and subtle energy which shifts within themselves and their participants, where instead of realigning your bones and muscles tension. The process of Reiki is something anyone can learn and something you can learn fairly swiftly, especially for animals. Reiki allows us to perform at a level where our positive energy flows freely. Reiki should not be an alternative to veterinarian medical care, but seen instead as an aid in the diagnosis to recovery.

Are you as baffled as I am? Here are some of my most immediate questions:

What is “Reiki attunement”?

What is “earth energy”?

What is “heavenly energy”?

What is “heart energy”?.

What is “the heart chakra”?

What is “the throat chakra”?

What is “the third eye chakra”?

What is an “open path to consciousness”?

What is “a level where our positive energy flows freely”?

None of these terms or concepts are defined. Why not? The answer is that they are not definable; they are mystical notions without meaning aimed at a gullible public (a polite way of avoiding the word bullshit).

Needless to say that the rest of the chapter is packed with some of the worst proctophasia and pseudo-science I have ever come across. The fact is that Reiki is nonsense, and nonsense should not be used to treat either humans or animals. If you are not convinced, please explain to me what this sentence tries to tell us: “Some practitioner in Reiki train for years to understand the energy and how to navigate delicate and subtle energy which shifts within themselves and their participants, where instead of realigning your bones and muscles tension.”

QED!

Homeopathy was founded some two hundred years ago by Dr Samuel Christian Hahnemann. Over time, it has grown to be among the most frequently used forms of alternative medicine in Europe and the USA. It is underpinned by the principle of ‘like cures like’, where highly diluted substances are used for therapeutic purposes, by producing similar symptoms to when the substance is used in healthy people. Many studies have been published on the value of homeopathy in treating diseases such as cancer, depression, psoriasis, allergic rhinitis, asthma, otitis, migraine, neuroses, allergies, joint disease, insomnia, sinusitis, urinary tract infections and acne, to name a few. An international team recently published a “comprehensive review” of the literature on homeopathy and evaluated its effectiveness in clinical practice.

Their conclusions were as follows:

The current evidence supports a positive role for homeopathy in health and wellbeing across a broad range of different diseases in both adult and paediatric populations. However further research to assess its cost-effectiveness and clinical efficacy in larger studies is required. These findings may encourage healthcare providers and policymakers to consider the integration of homeopathic therapies into current medical practice, to provide a greater sense of patient autonomy and improve the consumer experience.

Medicine is dynamic and continues to evolve. Conventional medicine, while backed by the largest body of evidence thus far to support its safety and efficacy, still has its limitations in terms of side effects and subsequent effects on quality of life. This analysis calls for more in-depth assessment of the current research on homeopathy across a larger range of diseases.

And their ‘Key Summary Points’ were:

  • While homeopathy is among the most frequently applied forms of alternative medicine, there is a lack of familiarity with this therapeutic modality within everyday medical practice.
  • This review examines some of the available evidence in relation to the impact of homeopathy on a variety of common chronic diseases.
  • Homeopathy was found to have the potential for symptom improvement in certain diagnoses within the fields of internal medicine, oncology, obstetrics and mental health.
  • Although there is a paucity of studies on homeopathy within the context of standard clinical practice, an opportunity exists for further research into its application by utilising conventional study designs.

To understand how the researchers could arrive at these conclusions, we need to have a look at their methodology. This is their full description:

We conducted a literature review to answer the following research questions:

  • What is the current knowledge on the use of homeopathy in clinical practice?
  • Has the use of homeopathy achieved beneficial results in patients being treated for specific clinical entities?

Results were then appraised in relation to:

  1. Population: patients using homeopathy, physicians and homeopaths who reported using homeopathic agents in the included studies
  2. Intervention: homeopathic remedies
  3. Control: conventional treatment or no treatment
  4. Outcome: improvement in patients’ conditions (or positive results)

Keywords were searched in respect of homeopathy (homeopathy; formulas, homeopathic; pharmacopoeias, homeopathic; materia medica and vitalism) and clinical practice (complementary and alternative medicine, health). The following search terms were used: (“homeopathy” OR “formulas, homeopathic” OR “pharmacopoeias, homeopathic” OR “materia medica” OR “vitalism”) AND (“health” OR “complementary and alternative medicine”).

Two electronic databases were searched using the search terms homeopathycancer therapytype 2 diabetescomplementary and alternative medicineCOVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2. Material retrieved was examined to omit overlapping results or duplicates. Publications in languages other than English, and those without full texts accessible online, were excluded.

This article is based on previously conducted studies and does not contain any new study with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

___________________________

Two crucial things are missing here:

  1. An adequate description of which articles were included and which were discarded. A look at the reference list discloses that only articles in favour of homeopathy were considered.
  2. A description of the critical evaluation performed of the included evidence. A look at the text shows that no critical evaluation took place.

Thus this paper turns out to be not a ‘comprehensive review’ but a ‘comprehensive white-wash’ of homeopathy. Using the methodology of the authors it would be easy, for instance, to publish a comprehensive review demonstrating that the earth is flat.

I sugget the journal editors, peer-reviewers and authors of this idiotic paper bow their heads in shame!

It is already 7 years ago that I listed several ‘official verdicts on homeopathy‘, i.e. conclusions drawn by independent, reputable bodies evaluationg the evidence for or against homeopathy:

“The principles of homeopathy contradict known chemical, physical and biological laws and persuasive scientific trials proving its effectiveness are not available”

Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Homeopathy should not be used to treat health conditions that are chronic, serious, or could become serious. People who choose homeopathy may put their health at risk if they reject or delay treatments for which there is good evidence for safety and effectiveness.

National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia

“These products are not supported by scientific evidence.”

Health Canada, Canada

“Homeopathic remedies don’t meet the criteria of evidence based medicine.”

Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary

“The incorporation of anthroposophical and homeopathic products in the Swedish directive on medicinal products would run counter to several of the fundamental principles regarding medicinal products and evidence-based medicine.”

Swedish Academy of Sciences, Sweden

“We recommend parents and caregivers not give homeopathic teething tablets and gels to children and seek advice from their health care professional for safe alternatives.”

Food and Drug Administration, USA

There is little evidence to support homeopathy as an effective treatment for any specific condition

National Centre for Complementary and Integrative Health, USA

There is no good-quality evidence that homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition

National Health Service, UK

Homeopathic remedies perform no better than placebos, and that the principles on which homeopathy is based are “scientifically implausible”

House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, UK

Since then, there have been many more statements from similar organisations (does someone know of a complete list? if so, please let me know). One such statement is from French veterinarians: Avis 2021- 3 sur l’Homéopathie vétérinaire. Aloow me to translate the crucial passages for you:

Opinion 2021- 3 on Veterinary Homeopathy. The Report of a Working Group on Veterinary Homeopathy, an Opinion on Veterinary Homeopathy adopted in the academic session on May 6, 2021. The report ecommends that :

 no medical discipline or practice claiming to be a medical discipline should be exempt from the ethical duty of testing its claims;

 in this respect, clinical studies on the individual, reconciling scientific rigor and practical constraints, be explored, and in particular the N of 1 trials described in human medicine;

 veterinary medicine be defined as evidence-based medicine, and not as allopathic medicine;

 it is reaffirmed that veterinary medicine must above all be holistic, and that consequently the label of holistic veterinary medicine cannot be monopolized by particular practices;

 homeopathy in veterinary medicine, as in human medicine, is not currently recognized nor can it be claimed as an exclusive veterinary medical activity;

 institutional communication provides ongoing information on the scientific approach, evidence-based medicine and complementary medicine, tailored respectively to veterinarians, the general public and, in particular, animal keepers;

 veterinary surgeons who, in the absence of recognized scientific proof of the efficacy of homeopathy in particular, wish to pursue this activity, particularly as a complementary medicine, should be fully aware of their increased responsibilities due to the current lack of scientific confirmation of efficacy;

 it is possible to use homeopathic preparations, insofar as the medical decision to use a complementary and non-alternative therapy systematically requires informed consent, and does not result in a loss of opportunity by delaying the diagnostic procedure and/or the establishment of a recognized effective treatment;

 that, in order to provide the information needed to obtain informed consent, a prescription for a homeopathic preparation should be accompanied, on any suitable medium, by a statement to the effect that, in the current state of knowledge, veterinary homeopathy has a contextual effect;

 that the term “homeopathic medicine” be eventually replaced by “homeopathic preparation” in national and European legislation, that labelling state that “the efficacy of the preparation has not been demonstrated in accordance with current standards”, and that homeopathic preparations cannot claim the properties of vaccines or replace them, without incurring criminal sanctions;

 in veterinary medicine, no university diploma in homeopathy be awarded by schools and other public establishments, and that training in homeopathy only take place within the framework of training that takes into account the realities of the scientific approach;

 as part of their initial training, veterinary schools are places for debate and training in critical thinking, by offering interdisciplinary seminars on non-conventional approaches;

_____________________________

So, the next time someone claims “homeopathy has been proven to work in animals”, let’s show them what the experts think of this notion.

Homeopathy is ‘First-Line-Medicine’ – at least this is what a German pro-homeopathy website recently proclaimed. The notion, it informs us, is based on EU law.

But is that true?

Does the ‘Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council on organic production (…)’ really recommend homeopathy for treating animals?

This is what the EU law states (my translation from a German original):

‘Diseases shall be treated immediately to avoid animal suffering; chemically-synthesised allopathic veterinary medicinal products, including antibiotics, may be administered, if necessary, under strict conditions and under the responsibility of a veterinarian, when treatment with phytotherapeutic, homeopathic and other remedies is inappropriate … phytotherapeutic and homeopathic preparations are preferable to chemically synthesised allopathic veterinary medicinal products, including antibiotics, provided that their therapeutic effect is guaranteed for the species concerned and the disease to be treated’.

Let’s analyse the text and find out what it really means. It states that:

  1. Vets should treat suffering animal without delay.
  2. They should use conventional therapies when homeopathy is inappropriate.
  3. Homeopathics are preferable, if their therapeutic effect is guaranteed for the species concerned and the disease to be treated.

So, homeopathy is recommended under two important and well-defined conditions:

  1. They have to be appropriate.
  2. They have to be proven to be effective.

It is amply clear that homeopathy has not been proven to be effective in any condition that afflicts animals. As this is so, homeopathics are evidently inappropriate.

But why, does the EU make it so complicated?

I don’t know the answer to this question but suspect that there was plenty of lobbying going on, and they had to find a phraseology that apeases the homeopaths and their industry.

 

 

It has been reported that Kash Patel, Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI. Patel seems to be a scary man. During 2023 appearance on Steve Bannon‘s “War Room” podcast, Patel agreed that Trump is “dead serious” about his intent to seek revenge against his political enemies should he be elected in 2024. Patel stated:

“We will go out and find the conspirators — not just in government, but in the media … we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections … We’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice, and Steve, this is why they hate us. This is why we’re tyrannical. This is why we’re dictators … Because we’re actually going to use the Constitution to prosecute them for crimes they said we have always been guilty of but never have.”

Meanwhile, Patel has been flogging a range of very odd products aimed at the MAGA crowd, making hundreds of thousands of dollars from Trump-aligned businesses. In particular, Patel promoted pills that claim to reverse the effects of the Covid-19 vaccine. Marketed under the trademark “Nocovidium,” the pills from a company called ‘Warrior Essentials’ contain a range of ‘natural ingredients none of which has been shown to do anything significant in relation to Covid-19 or vaccines:

“Spike the Vax, order this homerun kit to rid your body of the harms of the vax,” Patel said in a Truth Social post promoting the SCAM remedy. Another advert stated: “You were immune to the propaganda, but are you immune to the shedders.”

The website explains:

“The ingredients are listed above, but they break down into a few distinct categories.  Polyamines are the driving force that helps to push the body into autophagy. These are found in many foods and are also in all living organisms.  Our formula is designed to give a boost of externally supplied polyamines, while also working to turn your body into a polyamine producing gigafactory.  This is done by providing the body the precursors, activators, and synthesizers to ramp up production.  The third goal is to inhibit pathogens, including the spike protein, from interfering with the process. It’s a 1-2-3 patent-pending punch.  Every ingredient was specifically chosen and balanced for its ability to promote autophagy, polyamine production, the inhibition of factors that can stop the process, or a combination of all three.”

The website even explains how the supplement works: “With regards to the spike protein, the body identifies this as a foreign object, and the autophagy process is designed to help protect your body by completely eliminating items like the spike.  Many indicators show that the spike’s ability to block this process may be why the spikes are lasting far longer in the body than anybody ever expected.  Our formula was developed to counter these measures allowing the process to complete and the objects, including the spike, identified by the body for removal, to be eliminated.”

Is there any evidence?

One should not ask such probing questions!

Why not?

The answer is as simple as it is scary: “We’re going to come after you!”

This paper examined the state of homeopathic clinical research by critically assessing the overall quality of peer-reviewed, recently published, English-language, homeopathic clinical research in terms of internal, external, and model validity using standard and homeopathic-specific instruments. Further, an international panel of nine experts in research methods and homeopathy to identifed gaps in homeopathic research and prioritize areas for future study.
The team reviewed 99 clinical research studies targeting a wide range of populations and conditions. Studies were conducted in Western and Asian countries, with the largest number (30 percent) conducted in India. Of the 99 studies reviewed,
  • 85 were controlled trials;
  • 79 of these were randomized.

There were many areas where the quality of the studies could be improved. About two-thirds of the 85 controlled trials had either high (42 percent) or unclear (24 percent) risk of bias according to internationally recognized standards for internal validity.

Of the 14 observational (cohort) studies, over one-third did not control for important confounders in the outcome analyses. Regarding external validity, adherence was reported in less than a third of studies (n=31). Forty percent of studies (79% of observational studies) did not report on safety. Regarding model validity, fewer than two-thirds of the studies were consistent with homeopathic principles.

The expert panel’s opinion was mixed on whether the homeopathic research literature was missing important populations and/or conditions, and they suggested a variety of priority areas. Panelists also expressed a variety of opinions about the types of homeopathy that should be prioritized for future study but also noted that since homeopathic practice differs by country, each country may have different priorities.
Panelists agreed with the findings of the literature review that the research literature was at least somewhat deficient in all three types of validity. Although the assessment of validity was [by necessity] based only on what was reported, it suggests the need for both better reporting and higher quality research. They recommended the use of reporting guidelines to improve all types of validity, the identification of exemplar studies to help guide researchers to improve internal validity, and, given the limitations of the instruments available to measure external and model validity, that these instruments be validated and configured to provide summary scores.
Finally, substantial discussion addressed the need to bring more research expertise into homeopathic studies. This could be done both by better training homeopathic researchers and by collaborating with experienced conventional medicine research groups.
The authors concluded that the state of homeopathic research could be substantially improved in terms of internal, external, and model validity. Strict adherence to reporting guidelines, with attention to quality criteria during study design, would likely result in most of the needed improvement. However, there is also a need for the homeopathic community to decide where to focus future research in terms of conditions, populations, and types of homeopathy studied. These focus areas could take many forms and should align with the community’s research goals.
One of the fascinating aspects here is that the panel was not asked to deliberate whether – in view of homeopathy’s implausibility and the largely negative clinical evidence – further reseach into the subject is meaningful or desirable.
But by now you probably ask yourself: who are the members of the expert panel? Here they are:
  1. Iris Bell, M.D., Ph.D., University of Arizona College of Medicine (Retired) and Sonoran University of Health Sciences;
  2. Dan Cherkin, Ph.D., Osher Center for Integrative Health, Department of Family Medicine, University of Washington;
  3. Roger Chou, M.D., Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology and Department of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University;
  4. Katharina Gaertner, MBBS, Research Faculty of Health, University Witten/Herdecke;
  5. Klaus Linde, M.D., Ph.D., Scientific Coordinator, Technische Universität München, Institute of General Practice and Health Services Research;
  6. Alexander Tournier, Ph.D., Homeopathy Research Institute and Institute of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Bern;
  7. Esther van der Werf, M.Sc., Ph.D., Clinical Research Lead, Homeopathy Research Institute, and Honorary Senior Lecturer, Primary Care Infection, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol;
  8. Harald Walach, Ph.D., CHSInstitute.

Two very obvious things should be noted about this panel:

  • There are not 9 but only 8 members.
  • Almost all are individuals who are pro-homeopathy, and no informed critic of homeopathy was invited.

The latter fact seems important. Anyone who has worked with panels knowns that one can pre-determine the outcome of the deliberations by the choice of the members.

The panel essentially concluded that homeopathic research could be substantially improved. Considering its highly biased composition, this is remarkable. It means that, in fact,

HOMEOPATHIC RESEARCH IS DISMAL.

Being a dedicated crook and a liar himself, Donald Trump has long had an inclination to surround himself with crooks and liars. As discussed repeatedly, this preferance naturally extends into the realm of healthcare, Some time ago, he sought the advice of Andrew Wakefield, the man who published the fraudulent research that started the myth about a causal link between MMR-vaccinations and autism.

Early November this year, Trump stated that, if he wins the election, he’ll “make a decision” about whether to outlaw some vaccines based on the recommendation of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a notorious vaccine critic without any medical training. The president doesn’t have authority to ban vaccines but he can influence public health with appointments to federal agencies that can change recommendations or potentially revoke approvals.

Now that he did win the election, Trump suggested that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., his pick to run Health and Human Services, will investigate supposed links between autism and childhood vaccines, a discredited connection that has eroded trust in the lifesaving inoculations.

“I think somebody has to find out,” Trump said in an exclusive interview with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker. Welker noted in a back-and-forth that studies have shown childhood vaccines prevent about 4 million deaths worldwide every year, have found no connection between vaccines and autism, and that rises in autism diagnoses are attributable to increased screening and awareness.

Trump, too stupid to know the difference between correlation and causation, replied: “If you go back 25 years ago, you had very little autism. Now you have it.” “Something is going on,” Trump added. “I don’t know if it’s vaccines. Maybe it’s chlorine in the water, right? You know, people are looking at a lot of different things.” It was unclear whether Trump was referring to opposition by Kennedy and others to fluoride being added to drinking water.

Kennedy, the onetime independent presidential candidate who backed Trump after leaving the race, generated a large following through his widespread skepticism of the American health care and food system. A major component of that has been his false claims linking autism to childhood vaccinations. Kennedy is the founder of a prominent anti-vaccine activist group, Children’s Health Defense. The agency Trump has tasked him with running supports and funds research into autism, as well as possible new vaccines.

The debunked link between autism and childhood vaccines, particularly the inoculation against mumps, measles and rubella, was first claimed in 1998 by Andrew Wakefield who was later banned from practicing medicine in the UK. His research was found to be fraudulent and was subsequently retracted. Hundreds of studies have found childhood vaccines to be safe.

Autism diagnoses have risen from about 1 in 150 children in 2000 to 1 in 36 today. This rise has been shown to be due to increased screening and changing definitions of the condition. Strong genetic links exist to autism, and many risk factors occurring before birth or during delivery have been identified.

If Trump does, in fact, ‘outlaw’ certain vaccinations, he would endanger the health of the US as well as the rest of the world. Will he really be that stupid?

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