Vaccines simply should not be a partisan issue and this remains especially true with the arrival of a vaccine in the middle of a completely out of control COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, opposition to facts, reality, truth and scientific integrity have run rampant within the GOP ranks.
This divide is not a universal rule. Vaccine opposition does exist on both sides of the political isle as does the embrace of scientific integrity. Unfortunately, because the Trump MAGA mob is committed to playing an alternative reality fantasy game, one where they have forgotten what is real and what is not, politicians with an eye on votes are forced to also play as well and pander to this baying lunacy.
Reminder: The Body count right now in the US (as I write this) is 303,849, and is rising at a rate of over 3,000 per day. This is due to the complete and utter incompetence of the Trump administration.
What has triggered me today?
This news was published on Dec 6th …
Anti Vaccine Doctor Has Been Invited to Testify Before Senate Committee
The selection of Dr. Jane M. Orient as federal health officials are trying to promote a vaccine to end the coronavirus pandemic prompted harsh criticism from Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York.
A doctor who is skeptical of coronavirus vaccines and promotes the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a Covid-19 treatment will be the lead witness at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on Tuesday, prompting criticism from Democrats who say Republicans should not give a platform to someone who spreads conspiracy theories.
Dr. Jane M. Orient is the executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, a group that opposes government involvement in medicine and views federal vaccine mandates as a violation of human rights.
But but but …
It all sounds very reasonable and credible on the surface. She is not only a fully qualified doctor, she is also the executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, should we not be listening to subject matter experts such as her?
The problem here is that it is all a charade, a fantasy. If you embrace her and her association as credible then you have been successfully sucked into their alternative reality fantasy.
Hit pause on that game controller and breath in and sniff the air around this. What you will soon detect is the distinct aroma of grade 1 gold plated bovine waste.
Example: Google “Association of American Physicians and Surgeons” and what you find on their official highly referenced Wikipedia page is the revelation that this supposed legitimate medical professional society is a far-right political body where Ideology trumps science-based medicine. The authoritative name is there to con you. They are a small group of physicians who claim to be “non-partisan”, but rather obviously are not. They oppose abortion, vaccination, universal health care coverage and Obamacare in particular, and birth control. Their reasons for this stance are not evidence based, but purely political/religious.
Dig a bit more and you find they are legally active in stuff that should normally be way beyond the remit of a normal credible medical body …
- They oppose all forms of gun control and insist that guns save lives!!
- They are opposed to health care reform
- They vigorously (and legally) defended Rush Limbaugh when he was charged with misuse of prescription drugs.
They have a well-establish track record of tossing scientific facts under the bus …
- They have claimed that HIV does not cause AIDS
- That being Gay leads to a shorter lifespan
- That there is a link between abortion and breast cancer
- That masks are not an effective treatment to help prevent the spread of COVID-19
- That there is a link between autism and vaccines
- That government guidance to encourage people to not smoke and that the addictiveness of nicotine is misguided
To be clear, none of this is true, it is all quackery, and has all been robustly debunked.
Dr. Jane M. Orient, the executive director of this sham of an organisation was brought in to testify to Congress as a subject matter expert. Translation: Yep, we are back to congress itself being sucked into an alternative reality role playing game where some pretend that their fantasy is credible and real.
Scientific Facts really do matter
Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19
She and her association might indeed promote Hydroxychloroquine for the treatment of COVID-19, but there is no credible evidence that validates this stance. The best available evidence confirms that it is ineffective.
Masks and COVID-19
She and her association might indeed promote the claim that masks are ineffective. The scientific evidence is clear – face coverings are saving lives during the coronavirus pandemic. Anybody telling you that this is not true is lying to you. Mask use is a profoundly important pillar of pandemic control.
The COVID-19 Vaccine really does work
The scientific scrutiny of the new COVID-19 vaccines is robust and solid
… and since we are on the topic, no, vaccines do not cause autism.
Further Reading
- Association of American Physicians and Surgeons are quacks