From Pine View Farm

Health and Sanity category archive

Vaccine Nation 0

Speaking of merchants of death . . . .

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“Are You Better Off Now Than You Were Four Years Ago?” 0

Republicans keep asking that question.

At the Bangor Daily News, Michael Avery Sr. responds:

My answer to that is definitely a big yes. I am no longer subjected to seeing trucks being used as temporary morgues because the death rate from COVID-19 was overwhelming hospitals and morgues.

Follow the link for the rest of his response.

(Broken link fixed.)

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Vaccine Nation 0

Writing at the Tampa Bay Times, pediatrician Shetal Shah find the recent uptick in the number of measles cases in the U. S. to be quite alarming. Here’s a bit of his piece:

Despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines, measles outbreaks have reemerged in various parts of the country, magnified by factors such as misinformation, complacency and pockets of under-vaccinated populations. Though public health and immunology are sciences rigorously taught in medical school, politicians have replaced professors, fueling public vaccine hesitancy for political gain. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found the percentage of Republicans who believe they should decide if their children are vaccinated — even if failing to do so harms other children — more than doubled to 44% in the last five years.

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Vaccine Nation 0

RFK Jr. and COVID virus raising hands in a victory sign.

Via Yellowdoggranny.

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“Better Things for Better Living Through Chemistry” 0

Title:  Better living through chemistry?  Image:  Picture of a man with arrows pointing to his body identifying PFAS, formaldehyde, microplastics, etc.

Click for the original image.

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Maskless Marauders 0

An Alabama Republican lawmaker wants to outlaw the very notion of protecting the public good and promoting the general welfare.

Methinks selfishness is the ultimate Republican family value.

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Lessons Spurned 0

Title:  What did we learn from COVID?  Image:  Man:  It's the anniversary of a great tragedy.  Woman:  I know.  Over a million Americans have died.  Man:  I mean having to wear masks in public.  Remember how they were just overflowing into the streets.  Woman:  The morgues?  Man:  The lines for toilet paper.  Thank goodness for our heroes.  Woman:  The healthcare workers who risked their lives?  Man:  The people who defied ordinance and packed indoor spaces.  And years later people are still suffering.  Woman:  From long COVID?  Man:  The landlords who office buildings are empty because people work from home.  Well, I say never again!  Woman:  Be unprepared for a global pandemic?  Man:  Do anything as a society to contain a disease.

Click for the original image.

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Vaccine Nation 0

Sam talks with Dr. Peter J. Hotez, Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, about his recent book, The Deadly Rise of Anti-science: A Scientist’s Warning, and about how being against vaccines became part of right-wing idiotology.

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Vaccine Nation, Quack Quack Quack Dept. 0

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Artificial? Yes. Intelligent? Not So Much. 0

Writing at Psychology Today Blogs, Mary McNaughton-Cassill recounts two experiences she had recently when health insurance “AI” bots turned down her claims because, well, they thought they were smarter than her doctors.

Here’s a tiny bit:

In the past seven months, I have undergone two different surgeries with two different surgeons, both involving an overnight stay in the hospital. The first, which received pre-approval from my insurance company, was the culmination of several years of battling a painful autoimmune disorder. Two weeks after the procedure, I received a letter indicating that my insurer had determined that the surgery was unnecessary because I hadn’t had cancer. It took my well-known surgeon’s office six months to convince the payer that their artificial intelligence system and their expert, who trained in an unrelated medical field, had made a mistake.

It is a distressing read, but methinks a worthwhile one. Go decide for yourself.

Afterthought:

Automating greed does not make it less greedy.

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Medicare Disadvantage 0

When I qualified for Medicare (yeah, I’m old), I made sure to get traditional Medicare, because even back then [mumble] years ago, I knew that “Medicare Advantage” was little more than a con and a scam designed to let insurance companies suckle at the public teat.

And, speaking of insurance companies . . . .

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Vaccine Nation 0

Suffer the children.

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Medicare Disadvantage 0

Thom and Matthew Cunningham-Cook contemplate the con. (Warning: Some occasional minor audio glitches.)

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Vaccine Nation 0

The editorial board of the Tampa Bay Times notes that, as more and more persons are falling for lies about vaccination (politely referred to as “vaccine hesitancy”), measles cases are increasing. (I can still remember suffering from measles when I was a young ‘un, before the vaccines came along, and mumps, which is much more serious in adults than in children, nearly killed my parents when I was a pre-schooler.)

The Times offers a simple bit of advice:

. . . listen to your doctor, not the clown on TV.

Follow the link for the complete editorial, where they point the finger of blame squarely at those who propagate this stupid.

Aside:

We have over two centuries of proof, starting with the smallpox vaccine, that vaccines work.

Unfortunately, we have no vaccine against stupid.

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Maskless Marauders 0

The Marjorie Taylor Greene No Deal.

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Vaccine Nation 0

Florida Man.

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Vaccine Nation 0

Case dismissed.

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Vaccine Nation 0

At Psychology Today Blogs, psychology professor Ronald Riggio looks at the flawed reasoning which can lead persons to spurn vaccination, despite three centuries of history starting with the smallpox vaccine that prove vaccines work.

He offers three bits of advice; follow the link for an exploration of each one.

  • When deciding about vaccinations or health interventions, rely on trusted scientific sources.
  • Avoid the common psychological biases that lead to poor decisions about your health.
  • Our limited experiences are prone to bias and error because we cannot see the bigger picture.

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The Privatization Scam, Medicare Disadvantage Dept. 0

Thom and Congressman Mark Pocan responds to a caller’s question about “Medigap” coverage. Thom also discusses the racist origins of the “Medigap” itself.

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Vaccine Nation 0

Unfortunately, there is no vaccine against stupid.

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