Author Archives:
Meryl Dorey’s Fear Factor: Hypocrisy in print.
From Vaccinate You Children In May 2009, the AVN’s Meryl Dorey penned Pertussis: The Fear Factor, an article that could best be described as a work of fiction, and at worst an exercise in deliberate deception. About the only accurate point in Meryl’s article is the loose comparison she makes between seatbelts and vaccines. Quite appropriate, given … Read on »
Simon Singh wins libel case
After two years of a long and drawn out battle, the BCA has finally caved in and announced they are withdrawing their libel action against Dr Simon Singh. Lawyers of Singh were advised after the BCA filed a notice of discontinuation in the high court. Singh was sued in April 2008, by the BCA for a piece … Read on »
AVN Denied Advertising in Mum and Babies Publication
It was recently alleged that the AVN was denied paid advertising in The Child group of magazines, including Sydney’s Child. The monthly publications are distributed free in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth via childcare centres and baby shops and are highly targeted to Australian parents. Australian Skeptics understand that the AVN applied to purchase a … Read on »
Skeptics on Saturday with Dr Rachie and Dr Krissy
This week, Dr Rachie and Dr Krissy Wilson filled the chairs at radio 2GB as guests of Glen Wheeler on Saturday night. Topics covered include a UFO sighting over Sydney, fish raining from the sky in the isolated NT community of Lagamanu, and the secret behind the Power Balance bracelets. Dr Rachie also gives some … Read on »
Our own Dr Rachie wins health category of Twitter Shorty Awards
The vice president of Australian Skeptics, Dr Rachael Dunlop, know as “Dr Rachie”, has won the health category of the Twitter Shorty Awards, announced last week in New York City. The Shortys recognise excellence on Twitter in several categories such as entertainment, food, celebrity, and humour. The health category was hotly contested this year, with … Read on »
Update on lemon detox diet troubles
Pure Natural Health Pty Ltd and companies like it “will face the full weight of the law,” says Primary Industries Minister Stephan Whan, as investigations are launched into advertising and promotion of the company’s Lemon Detox Diet. This comes as the company faces further scrutiny by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority. The NZFSA has launched … Read on »
Tokyo embassy links to antivax group: Stop the AVN to the rescue!
By the Skeptic Zone’s Dave The Happy Singer The Australian Embassy in Toyko has removed a web link to the notorious Australian Vaccination Network after the ‘Stop The AVN’ group alerted officials. The deceptively named ‘Australian Vaccination Network’ (AVN) is a rabid anti-vaccination lobby group, spreading unsubstantiated fear, uncertainty and doubt while purporting to ‘empower people to make … Read on »
UK Government committee recommends public funds pulled from homeopathy
Sugar pills are placebo Report concludes UK National Health Service should cease funding homeopathy Recommend no further clinical trials of homeopathy. Evidence shows homeopathy doesn’t work. Explanations for why homeopathy works are “scientifically implausible.” Committee views homeopathy as placebo. In a stunning move announced this evening Australian time, members of parliament in the UK have recommended that homeopathy be removed from the National Health Service (NHS). The committee … Read on »
Another blow for Wakefield as Neurotoxicology paper withdrawn
A study authored by Andrew Wakefield and published in the journal “Neurotoxicology” has been withdrawn overnight. This follows last weeks complete retraction by The Lancet of his now notorious 1998 study that suggested a link between MMR vaccine and autism. Following The Lancet retraction on February 2nd, 2010, the anti-vax movement latched onto the Neurotoxicology paper as … Read on »
The old one-two-three hits the anti-vaccination movement
It hasn’t been a good week for anti-vaxers. In fact, it hasn’t been a good year. But the period from the end of January into the first week of February 2010 was particularly troublesome for the luddites of the medical world. In three consecutive blows, a key piece of research for the movement and its main author … Read on »
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