Neural Gourmet and Flu vaccination myths on The Enlightenment Show (Video)
Have you gotten a flu shot this year? If you’re like a lot of people you might have passed this vaccination up, rationalizing that the flu isn’t a serious illness or maybe you think the flu vaccine can actually give you the flu. Neither one of those is true, and there’s a lot of other myths surrounding the flu vaccine that get repeated uncritically. And the anti-vaccination militia, more comfortably at home in the spotlight afforded by their attacks on the MMR vaccine, doesn’t pass up a jab at the flu vaccine either. Celebrities like Bill Maher love to parrot a claim attributed to Hugh Fudenberg that people who get vaccinated against the flu five times or more have an increased risk of Alzheimer’s Disease. In case that name doesn’t ring a bell with you, Hugh Fudenberg is a quack doctor who has had his medical license revoked for “engaging in dishonorable, unethical, or unprofessional conduct” and now makes a living charging people $750 an hour for his sham services.
In this episode of FreeThought Fort Wayne’s The Enlightenment Show I talk with infectious disease specialist Dr. Pamela Kelly about some of the more common myths surrounding the flu vaccine, touching briefly on the conspiracy theories. Oh, and just to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, Dr. Kelly gives me a flu vaccination on camera. My segment is first up, right after Andy Welfle’s great introduction and the theme music, about a minute and half into the show. Stick around for the rest of the show though, as Andy Welfle and Chad Butterbaugh discuss David Hume and the problem of miracles, the group has a roundtable discussion, Andy Diekroger talks about the harm caused when people don’t vaccinate their children. Finally Mark Allen and Jake Doelling examine a new craze among Fundamentalist Christians — the belief that Barack Obama is the anti-Christ.
I’ve got to say, despite the usual flubs from me, this was the best episode of The Enlightenment Show yet. The new opening music rocks and Andy W’s Cobert-inspired intro absolutely rocked, while Andy D’s video production skills keep getting better and better as evidenced by the crisp editing on this one, as well as the unique presentation of Mark and Jake’s segment. I’ve also got to thank Dr. Pamela Kelly. She was a great guest and hopefully we can have her back on the show really soon.
More from this category
- One of the best and brightest satirical bloggers has died. RIP Jon Swift.
- Carnival of the Liberals #100
- A conversation on the nature of Skepticism
- Online Predators: Boogeymen or a serious threat to our youth?
More from this author
- One of the best and brightest satirical bloggers has died. RIP Jon Swift.
- Carnival of the Liberals #100
- Carnival of the Liberals #99
- Carnival of the Liberals #97
Subscribe to this author