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Dave Levitan
@davelevitan.bsky.social
Deputy editor, Splinter, covering climate and more. Previous: The Messenger/Grid, bylines all over before that. Author: NOT A SCIENTIST: How politicians mistake, misrepresent, and utterly mangle science (2017, WW Norton). Davelevitan{at}gmail.com
9.8k followers697 following5.7k posts
DLdavelevitan.bsky.social

One thing I don’t think is super well known is that the original Andrew Wakefield paper in 1998 that basically started the modern anti-vax movement and has since been super-duper-retracted because it’s fraudulent and full of shit was a descriptive “study” of a grand total of just *12* children.

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SCstephencoxauthor.bsky.social

There was a credible case that he committed criminal fraud and should have faced a jury.

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Llauowolf.bsky.social

For pete's sake Damn him

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He violated ethical rules by doing unnecessary and painful procedures on those kids, which is a major no no for obvious reasons. Also, he was originally trying to shill a different vaccine, which he was an investor in. He’s got absolutely no moral compass at all.

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PCpetecabanna.bsky.social

If a child is harmed due their parents not showing vaccines then the parents need to face charges. Fucking idiots. Bet they wouldn’t question meds and life-saving treatment in an emergency or acute episode.

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DSdschatsky.bsky.social

The awesome power of misinformation.

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DLdavelevitan.bsky.social

Like even if the paper wasn’t fake, you need *thousands* of people in a study to answer questions like this. (Which people have subsequently done to make sure and found no problems.) Imagine reordering your world view and putting so many kids’ lives in danger over a 12-person nothing of a study.

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JRjenni4iowa.bsky.social

This isn't a Wakefield study problem, it's a COVID-vaccine-fallout problem.

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SSdeityfinley.bsky.social

People like this infuriate me. Uneducated and make dumb claims like how vaccines cause autism.

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Ppsbrookes.bsky.social

And don't forget none of the subjects actually existed, 'cuz of course fraud!

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BFbuzzfoster.bsky.social

I've known about this since it first happened. And his motivation was to sell some sort of formulation of his own to the NHS for a shit ton of money.

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Dave Levitan
@davelevitan.bsky.social
Deputy editor, Splinter, covering climate and more. Previous: The Messenger/Grid, bylines all over before that. Author: NOT A SCIENTIST: How politicians mistake, misrepresent, and utterly mangle science (2017, WW Norton). Davelevitan{at}gmail.com
9.8k followers697 following5.7k posts