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NOVEMBER 2025 NEWS OCTOBER 2025 NEWS ALL PREVIOUS NEWS PAGES
DECEMBER, 2025
Featured topic: hepatitis B vaccine
David Gorski (Science-Based Medicine): “Every accusation is a confession (or a statement of intent): MAHA’s new Tuskegee experiment.” “HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.s CDC just funneled a $1.6 million dollar grant to researchers to carry out an unethical and scientifically unjustified randomized clinical trial of the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine in Guinea-Bissau.”
Paul Offit (Beyond the Noise): “RFK Jr.: ‘We need to stop trusting experts’.”
Washington Post: “RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers plan biggest change yet to childhood schedule.”
Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy: “New review finds no evidence to support delaying universal hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination” and “CDC awards $1.6 million for hepatitis B vaccine study by controversial Danish researchers.”
New York Times: “Panel votes to stop recommending hepatitis B shots at birth for most newborns.”
Washington Post: “CDC panel makes most sweeping revision to childhood vaccination schedule under RFK Jr.”
Washington Post: “Under RFK Jr., the CDC provides a megaphone to the anti-vaccine movement.”
NBC News: “CDC advisory panel rolls back universal hepatitis B vaccine recommendation.”
American Academy of Pediatrics: “AAP expert: Delaying hepatitis B vaccine ‘could be devastating to children’s health’” and “CDC decision on universal birth dose of hepatitis B vaccine will have ‘heartbreaking’ consequences.”
Infectious Diseases Society of America: “Statement from leading medical, health and patient advocacy groups on CDC vaccine meeting.”
PBS: “Fact-checking the CDC panel’s reasons for dropping universal newborn hepatitis B vaccine recommendation.”
Andrea Love (ImmunoLogic): “34 years of public health erased: RFK Jr.’s ACIP goes after newborn HBV vaccination.”
American Public Health Association: “APHA joins GW [George Washington] and dozens of public health and policy experts urging the CDC to maintain universal newborn hepatitis B vaccination.”
Featured topic: measles
Ars Technica: “Over 250 people quarantined in South Carolina as measles outbreak rages.”
Washington Post: “Hundreds quarantined as South Carolina measles outbreak accelerates.”
Reuters: “South Carolina measles outbreak accelerates as cases rise to 126.”
Featured topic: COVID vaccines
David Gorski (Science-Based Medicine): “Robert F. Kennedy is definitely coming for your vaccines, part 5: VAERS and a useful idiot at the FDA.”
Jonathan Howard (Science-Based Medicine): “Dr. Vinay Prasad: ‘The incidence of myocarditis found for young men after SARS-CoV-2 infection is larger than what we found for myocarditis following COVID-19 vaccination.”
Henry Miller (Science-Based Medicine): “The FDA’s proposed 'black box' warning for COVID-19 vaccines.”
Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy: “mRNA COVID vaccines tied to drop in death rate for 4 years” and “Pregnant women vaccinated against COVID-19 less likely to be hospitalized or deliver prematurely, new data show.”
Jeremy Faust (Inside Medicine): “Scoop: FDA vaccine chief’s memo cited 10 pediatric Covid-19 deaths - but the agency’s own analysis found 0–7.”
Washington Post: “FDA to investigate whether adult deaths linked to coronavirus vaccine.”
New York Times: “F.D.A. expands Covid vaccine inquiry to adult deaths.”
Featured topic: Denmark vaccine schedule
New York Times: “R.F.K. Jr. likely to swap U.S. vaccine schedule for Denmark's.”
Washington Post: “U.S. plans to stop recommending most childhood vaccines, defer to doctors.”
Unbiased Science: “There’s something rotten in the United States. Why the Denmark vaccine schedule won’t work in the U.S.”
Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy: “The nearly 80-year-old law that could hamper RFK Jr.’s drive to remake vaccine schedule.”
Washington Post: “The U.S. vaccine schedule is a jet engine. Denmark’s is a toy plane.”
Featured topic: vaccines (other)
David Gorski (Science-Based Medicine): “'Best practices': The buzzword that the Trump administration will use to eliminate as many vaccines as RFK Jr. can.”
Edzard Ernst: “The demolition of US public health continues: the new deputy director of the CDC prefers 'natural immunity' to vaccines.” [Ralph Abraham]
Paul Offit (Beyond the Noise): “Debating science: No thanks.” “Anti-vaccine activists RFK Jr., Aaron Siri, and Steve Kirsch have asked that I debate them on vaccine safety. One of them offered me $1 million to do it. Here’s why I declined.”
Gizmodo: “RFK Jr. taps preacher who preacher who blames vaccines for cancer, compares Covid tracking to Nazi Germany” [Kirk Milhoan].
Washington Post: “A dozen former FDA commissioners condemn plan to tighten vaccine approvals.”
NBC News: “A dozen former FDA leaders lambast claims by current FDA vaccine chief.”
New York Times: “Kennedy’s methodical 2-decade quest to dismantle vaccine policy.”
Washington Post: “Under RFK Jr., the CDC provides a megaphone to the anti-vaccine movement.”
NBC News: “Lawyer with ties to Kennedy sparks outcry over vaccine misinformation at CDC advisory meeting” [Aaron Siri].
William London (Skeptical Inquirer) wrote “The CDC’s ‘autism and vaccines’ webpage and the negative evidence principle.”
New York Times: “Supreme Court questions N.Y. ban on religious exemptions for vaccines.”
Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy: “U.S. reps berate FDA head, demand data for proposed vaccine regulation changes, purported link to child deaths.”
NJ.com: “CDC pushing ‘pseudoscience’ for vaccine advice and we can’t rely on them, N.J. officials warn.”
NBC News: “More parents refusing vitamin K shots for newborns, study finds.”
World Health Organization: “WHO expert group’s new analysis reaffirms there is no link between vaccines and autism.”
New York Post: “RFK Jr.’s lunatic war on vaccines puts kids at risk.”
New York Times: “Health dept. cancels grants to group that criticized Kennedy’s vaccine policies” [American Academy of Pediatrics].
STAT: “RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisory panel is beset by incompetence, bias, and procedural chaos.”
NBC News: “Whooping cough cases soar as vaccination rates drop.”
KFF Health News: “Inside the FDA’s vaccine uproar
Céline Grounder: “What the CDC’s vaccine language shift reveals about pseudoscience.”
New York Times: “Three experts on vaccines, measles and Kennedy.”
New York Times: “This is the damage Kennedy has done in less than a year.”
Featured topic: FDA
David Gorski (Science-Based Medicine): “The FDA under MAHA control: Weakening the quack Miranda warning on supplements.”
Ars Technica: “More FDA drama: Top drug regulator calls it quits after 3 weeks.” [Richard Pazdur]
Reuters: “US FDA launches fresh safety scrutiny of approved RSV therapies for infants.”
New York Times: “F.D.A. turmoil keeps spotlight on its commissioner.”
Health News Review: “More Makary malarkey.”
Featured topic: political developments (other)
Mark Crislip (Science-Based Medicine): “Terrain in vain.” [Jay Bhattacharya’s approach to dealing with the next pandemic]
David Gorski (Science-Based Medicine): “It’s a madhouse! Public health under the heirs to Lysenko (and Dr. Zaius) in 2025.”
Edzard Ernst: “The shady love affair between Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the chiropractic profession” (see also Politico story below), “Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wins this year’s Shkreli Award” (“The annual awards call out greed and fraud in the healthcare industry”), and “2025: the year when Trump changed US science beyond recognition.”
Derek Lowe (Science): “Complete regulatory chaos.”
Nick Tiller (Skeptical Inquirer): “MAHA isn’t denying science: It’s doing something much worse.”
Benjamin Radford (Skeptical Inquirer): “Good news! Most people don’t trust Health Secretary RFK Jr.”
Politico: “How chiropractors became the backbone of MAHA.”
Debra Houry (Time): “I left the CDC 100 days ago. My worst fears about the agency are coming true.”
Gizmodo: “The worst ways RFK Jr. has harmed public health this year.”
Featured topic: homeopathy
Edzard Ernst posted:
“A change of mind: the German Green Party is now against the reimbursement of homeopathy.”
“Homeopathy in chronic disease management: a ‘critical’ review of the evidence.” “…Under a thin veneer of critical assessment, the paper is a prime attempt of white-washing the established evidence…Understanding that this is what homeopaths call a ‘CRITICAL’ review might be helpful: it explains, I think, why they feel that true critical assessments are nothing but brutal and cynical destructions of their beautiful fantasies.”
“’Homeopathy addresses anemia's complexities with finesse’.” “Why do I discuss such a paper? Would it not be better to ignore stuff like this? I think, it is important to every now and then point out how dangerous homeopathy really is. There is no question that therapists who adhere to the pseudo-knowledge of homeopathy are a danger to their patients. In the case of anemia (which usually responds extremely well to proper causal treatment), they would prolong mild to moderate symptoms – and, if anemia is severe, they might even kill the patient who follows their instructions.”
“An elective course on HOMEOPATHY for pharmacy students?” “Yes, pharmacists should, of course, know about homeopathy in order to be able to advise customers responsibly. But that, by definition, must exclude promotion and conflicts of interest.”
“Patient satisfaction with homeopathic vs. conventional medicine.” “I cannot possibly discuss all the fatal flaws of this paper. Let me just mention a few obvious ones…”
Other topics
On Science-Based Medicine,
Scott Gavura:
Posted “ALS and the market for false hope.” “No supplement has been shown to meaningfully slow disease progression, improve survival, or restore function in ALS.”
Jonathan Howard:
Wrote “Well Dr. Stephanie Seneff, 2025 is over. Did glyphosate turn half of all children autistic?” “Failed predictions are a key feature of pseudoscience, and much of my writing has documented instances of credentialed academies making bold, confident declarations, only to act like they never happened when reality intruded into their fantasy.”
Steven Novella:
Wrote “Extracorporeal blood oxygenation and ozonation.” “By now we should have a fairly definitive answer to the question of efficacy for EBOO, but there isn’t. We just have some preliminary research, some basic science, and then direct-to-consumer implausible claims not supported by research. That is the wellness industry.”
Edzard Ernst posted:
“Acute spinal epidural hematoma: a serious complication of chiropractic therapy.” “Conclusion? Well, I suppose you know mine: As chiropractic spinal manipulations are of uncertain (to put it mildly!) effectiveness, even rare but serious risks weigh heavily and make the risk/benefit balance tilt into the negative. In practical terms, this obviously means this: avoid chiros where you can!”
“Acupuncture for patients with major depressive disorder?, No, definitely no!” “For the following reasons, the conclusions are, in my opinion, wrong: Almost all RCTs [randomized controlled trials] came from China (we have discussed the untrustworthiness of these trials many times previously…Almost all studies were methodologically flawed. Therefore, I suggest a more accurate conclusion based on the available data: The evidence from RCTs, SRs, and clinical guidelines is unreliable due to the poor quality of the available data. Until reliable evidence is available, acupuncture is not a recommendable therapy for MDD, a life-threatening condition.”
“Which ADHD interventions are effective? An umbrella review.” “…The authors of the above paper point out that, despite large effect sizes, the evidence should be rated as being uncertain. This seems to indicate that the primary studies are less than reliable. What lessons can be learnt from all this? For me the two main ones are these: IN SCAM [so-called alternative medicine], THERE IS MUCH MORE HYPE THAN RELIABLE EVIDENCE. THE LESS TREATABLE A CONDITION IS, THE MORE SCAMs CLAIM EFFICACY.”
“Alkaline diet, a diet to die for!” “The children’s diet entailed eating vegetables, fruit and plant-based milks − with almost no protein, fats or fortified foods crucial for overall health. The parents interpreted the children’s rapid weight loss as evidence the diet was working and removing toxins, rather than a sign of medical crisis.” In a related article, Miguel Torres (USA Today) reported “Child dies, siblings hospitalized after alkaline diet.” The death occurred in 2023 and a plea deal is now being considered. “The alkaline diet is built on the disproven belief that shifting the body’s acidity levels can cure diseases or ‘detoxify’ the body…It was a diet so low in calories and nutrients that doctors who examined the children said it led to severe malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies.”
“Effects of a saffron on mood and general wellbeing in adults experiencing low mood.” “As mentioned above, the body of evidence suggesting that saffron is effective for a surprisingly wide range of conditions is impressive. I looked with some skepticism at some of these studies and have to say that many are of decent or even good scientific quality. Could it be that we have in saffron a plant-based treatment that shows real promise?”
“SAFFRON, a wonder-drug?” “Collectively, these systematic reviews render saffron unquestionably an interesting herbal remedy. Of course, not all the primary studies are of the highest standard, and neither all the systematic reviews. But still, for once, I am impressed! A wonder drug? No! But one that deserves our attention.”
“Osteopathic treatment of infants with infantile colic…or: HOW TO CHEAT WITH SEEMINGLY RIGOROUS CLINICAL TRIALS.” “This is a cleverly designed study. I say ‘cleverly’ because the casual reader might not even notice that it compared osteopathic treatments with doing nothing. It is well-documented that just handling babies with IC/EC [infantile colic/excessive crying] has an effect on outcomes. Thus the positive effect may not have anything to do with osteopathy and be due simply to the extra attention given to the child.”
“Most osteopathic RCTs [randomized controlled trials] are of poor quality and their findings are thus unreliable.” “The authors concluded that adherence to best practices in osteopathic RCTs needs improvement to enhance evidence-based decision-making, reduce research waste, and enhance reproducibility. Further research should explore whether these findings apply to other small, under-resourced fields. Considering that many of the authors are affiliated to osteopathic institutes, this is a remarkably critical review. Its results cannot surprise anyone who regularly studies the literature in this field.”
“Integrative medicine education for medical students? NO, IT’S NONSENSE!” “The fact is that IM is nonsense: the aspects that are good about IM are ‘stolen’ from real medicine and certainly not unique to it, while the aspects related to the integration of un- or disproven (and thus dangerous) modalities are best left to disintegrate. To put it bluntly: An elective in nonsense will result in harmful nonsense!”
“CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY FOR PRETERM NEONATES AND INFANTS: nonsensical research of nonsense does not make sense.” “Let me just point out two major limitations of the study. A pilot study is supposed to determine the feasibility of a project followed by a definitive trial. This study did not aim at doing this. It therefore is not a pilot study but a useless observation. The author states that the therapy leads to significant improvements… She thus claims that the therapy caused the observed outcome. This claim ignores numerous other causes, e.g. a placebo response, other therapies and care, or the natural history of the condition. The latter seems particularly important. Premature babies develop regardless of whether they receive treatments or not.”
“Anti-aging: the ‘tomorrowland of health’.” Therapies discussed are intravenous ozone, hyperbaric oxygen, NAD+, and intravenous glutathione. “So, what should we think about Dr Enayat’s ‘tomorrowland of health’? I don’t know about you, but I get the feeling that staying well away from it might be the best chance to reach a right old age.”
On McGill Office for Science and Society:
Jonathan Jarry:
Posted “Deceitful AI videos mislead seniors on important health issues.” “More and more videos offering medical advice to older adults on YouTube are entirely made using generative AI, from their script to the voiceover narration, and they cite scientific papers that do not exist but that superficially look real. Many of these videos appear to be made by content farms in Vietnam. Because they are not made using cutting-edge AI tools yet, these videos can still be recognized as fake because they present incorrect anatomy, unnatural-looking people, somewhat monotonous voices, and gibberish writing on screen.”
Joe Schwarcz:
Discussed “Salmon sperm and penis facials.” Salmon sperm: “The supposed skin rejuvenating ingredients are breakdown fragments of DNA known as ‘polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDRN)’.” Penis facials: injections under the skin of serum containing epidermal growth factor (EGF). “While salmon sperm and penis facials may appeal because of their novelty and celebrity testimonials, evidence indicates that effects are at best modest and lag behind hyaluronic acid injections and topical retinoid therapy.”
Posted “Searching for the elusive fountain of youth. Can we live to 150?” Topics discussed include PCC1, antioxidant supplements, calorie restriction, and DNA methylation.
December 2 – The FDA warned that “Certain bodybuilding products put consumers at risk for heart attack, stroke, serious liver damage and more.” “These bodybuilding products often contain selective androgen receptor modulators, commonly called SARMs, and have not been approved by the FDA. SARMs are chemical substances that mimic the effects of testosterone and anabolic steroids. These products are illegally marketed and are often promoted to increase muscle mass and strength. Although the products are generally marketed as dietary supplements, they are not dietary supplements. Instead, these products are unapproved drugs that FDA has not reviewed for safety and effectiveness…These products also are sometimes ‘for research purposes’ or ‘not for human consumption.’ These products have been sold directly to consumers for human use with dosing instructions. The agency urges consumers not to purchase these products which are of unknown quality and may be harmful to your health.”
December 2 – “FDA warns about heavy metal poisoning associated with certain unapproved ayurvedic drug products.” “FDA warns consumers that using unapproved ayurvedic products containing harmful levels of heavy metals may cause heavy metal poisoning. Using these products may result in high blood pressure, kidney injury, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress and neurologic symptoms. There are no FDA-approved ayurvedic products. Ayurvedic products marketed to prevent, treat, diagnose or cure any disease are illegally marketed in the U.S…some include heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, arsenic, iron and zinc.”
December 9 – Lindsey Bever (Washington Post) wrote “Taken correctly, this mineral may shorten your cold.” “While zinc is unlikely to prevent a cold, it may help reduce the duration of a cold by a day or two. But potential benefits of zinc, particularly at higher levels, may be offset by adverse reactions, including irritation in the nose and mouth, an upset stomach and other side effects.”
December 13 – Lynn Schmidt (The Fulcrum) wrote “When medical misinformation costs lives: Balancing free speech and public health.” “From Ivermectin to cancer cures, false health claims spread faster than facts—testing democracy’s limits.”
December 14 – Ariana Cha (Washington Post) wrote “A Trump-touted drug for autism is now in demand, but doctors see a dilemma.” “The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics both do not recommend the routine use of leucovorin for children with autism. But the AAP left an opening for doctors to prescribe it, stating that pediatric care providers ‘are encouraged to engage in shared decision-making with families who inquire about or request leucovorin…’”
December 28 – Consumer Health Digest reported legal actions against stem cell providers in Utah and Iowa.