Comments on: Swine Flu – Science, Pseudoscience, And Panic

By: NeuroLogica Blog » H1N1 Vaccine and GBS

NeuroLogica Blog » H1N1 Vaccine and GBS — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:29:11 +0000

[...] As most people have probably heard by now, we are in the midst of a pandemic – swine flu or H1N1. This is a strain of the Influenza A virus, which causes a severe respiratory infection. The virus evolves rapidly and each year new strains appear, causing the annual flu season which causes 30,000 deaths in the US and 500,000 world wide. (The H and N refer to the two main proteins used to classify different strains of the virus – I wrote a more detailed summary here.) [...]

By: Harry P.

Harry P. — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:12:54 +0000

HHC,

In the UK where Libel is easier to sue for, Simon Singh is being sued by the British Chiropractic Association. From his facebook support page:

The BCA are promoting Chiropractic as treatment for children with (potentially serious) ailments such as asthma and frequent ear infections. Simon Singh criticised this in a Guardian “comment” piece. In particular, he criticised the BCA for doing this without appropriate clinical evidence. He is now being sued for libel. The BCA want damages and an injunction against him saying such things in future.

FYI, I support Simon Singh’s Free Speech and look down upon Chiropractors and Osteopaths who promote manipulative treatments without sufficient evidence to show efficacy and safety.

-Harry

By: What I did May 6th - Eddie Current

What I did May 6th - Eddie Current — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:23:50 +0000

[...] Swine Flu – Science, Pseudoscience, And Panic — 10:50pm via Google Reader Steven Novella is always good for a reality check. We need to be [...]

By: weing

weing — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:23:30 +0000

If chiropractic neck manipulation has no benefit and a risk of vertebral artery dissection then all such practice can be considered malpractice. That’s my view. I am not a liar, I mean, lawyer.

By: daedalus2u

daedalus2u — Wed, 06 May 2009 19:16:46 +0000

HHC, if a statement is true, it is a 100% protective defense against libel or slander. No matter how damaging, there is no legal bar to speaking or publishing the truth.

Chiropractic manipulation is like a bad hanging. It exerts forces on the neck that are somewhat less than necessary to cause the acute damage characteristic of a well-done hanging, but not small enough that there is never any adverse effects.

I see that as a completely true statement. There are even calculations to back it up. Where is the libel or slander?

By: HHC

HHC — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:32:46 +0000

From a legal standpoint, the consumer is robbed of their health and wealth by malpractice from a physician or a chiropractor.

By: HHC

HHC — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:13:26 +0000

weing, your remarks are not clear with respect to great harm. Who are the bank robbers? Who is the security company?

By: HHC

HHC — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:08:48 +0000

tmac57, I asked two questions. The first question could be rephrased to this question, is there a beneficial residual effect of having received the original swine flu vaccine in past years, or is there no beneficial residual effect at all? The second question was answered by a poster stating the flu is a virus not subject to
manual manipulation of the human body.

By: weing

weing — Wed, 06 May 2009 18:08:40 +0000

Great harm would be done. That would be like bank robbers suing the security company for stopping the bank robbery.

By: HHC

HHC — Wed, 06 May 2009 16:40:45 +0000

Thank you for informing me that I misspelled the acronym. If a Chiropractic lawsuit were filed with respect to libel/slanderous statements, the admissions by Dr. Novella on his own blog would be used. He admits that the authors are not writing fiction,” SBM is in the real world.” Dr. Novella admits that ” Mark used some colorful illiustration.” Mark Crislip’s own words of the bad hanging would be presented in the complaint. A Chiropractic lawsuit would document harm from the statements made on the blog.