Category Archives: Vaccines/Alternative Medicine

Debunking anti-vaccine arguments: VAERS, package inserts, and the VICP do not prove that vaccines are dangerous

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Fallacy Man

If you spend any time talking to those who oppose vaccines, you will likely hear them cite the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), vaccine package inserts, and the national Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) as evidence that vaccines are … Continue reading →

Posted in Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

If cannabis and vitamin B17 kill cancer, why aren’t they approved by the FDA? Let me explain

Posted on July 4, 2016 by Fallacy Man

It seems like hardly a week goes by without some news article claiming that a simple cure to cancer has been found. Similarly, social media is full of images like the one to right claiming that cannabis oil, vitamin B17, … Continue reading →

Posted in Nature of Science, Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Why are there so many reports of autism following vaccination? A mathematical assessment

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Fallacy Man

The idea that vaccines cause autism is one of the most persistent myths that I have ever encountered, and it seems that no amount of evidence will ever cause it to disappear. Indeed, I recently wrote a lengthy post in … Continue reading →

Posted in Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , | 72 Comments

The nirvana fallacy: An imperfect solution is often better than no solution

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Fallacy Man

In this post, I want to briefly explain and discuss a logical blunder known commonly as the “nirvana fallacy.” This fallacy occurs when you suggest either that a solution should not be used because it is imperfect or that a … Continue reading →

Posted in Global Warming, GMO, Rules of Logic, Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Even if medical errors were the 3rd leading cause of death, that wouldn’t be as bad as it sounds

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Fallacy Man

There has recently been a lot of hype over a “new” study claiming that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in the US (this was really just a rehash of previous studies). Dr. Gorski has already done … Continue reading →

Posted in Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments