When Politics Intrudes On Science

[HuckleB]

When (Anti-Vax) Politics Intrudes
http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=7002

"Over the last decade there has been a needed discussion about the relationship between politics and science. This has mostly been spawned by the perceived “Republican War on Science,” at the center of which is the global warming debate. In reality, both ends of the political spectrum (as evidenced, for example, by the Huffington Post) tend to trump science with ideology. That is the nature of politics. But at least the issue has been raised.

Briefly, defenders of science have pointed out that science should inform politics, not the other way around. Ideologues should not be allowed to put their thumb on the scale of science in order to get the result their ideology demands. Further, the optimal policy emerges from an honest assessment of the relevant science. Values still come into play for many issues, so science alone is not enough, but the science has to be right.

Within medicine this issue often involves the regulation of the standard of care and public health policy. An example of the former is the law passed last year is Connecticut that essentially exempts professionals who treat “chronic Lyme disease” from the standard of care – the department of health cannot act against their license for treating this controversial condition with unproven therapies.Rather than allowing experts to determine the standard of care, which is an ever moving target, this law locks into place a very controversial, and in my opinion dubious, practice.

Another issue that frequently is caught between politics and science is vaccinations – and just such a conflict is heating up in Florida. Penn Bullock and Brandon K. Thorp report in the Miami News Times that a wealthy chiropractor, Gary Kompothecras, is using his political connections, earned by generous campaign contributions, to promote his apparent anti-vaccine agenda. Kompothecras has two children with autism and he blames thimerosal in vaccines for their condition. Readers of SBM know that thimerosal (which contains ethyl mercury) has not been connected to autism. The scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows that vaccines are not to blame. Most notably with regard to thimerosal specifically, this preservative was removed from most childhood vaccines over 8 years ago in the US, and autism rates have not plummeted as proponents of the thimerosal hypothesis predicted. Yet some, like Kompothecras, still cling to this discredited notion.

..."

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It's worth reading the whole piece before responding.

It's a difficult balance, but it's disturbing to see ideology attempt to trump science, and to see it succeed at times.

:(

[BolivarianHero]

1. What a Freeptard...

Gary K reminds me of that idiot in New Zealand (sadly, a prominent "leftist" politician) who used his political clout to advocate harsher marijuana and alcohol laws, his argument being that his daughter, a smoker, had killed herself. I know it's callous to laugh at these people, but I really don't give a shit. If you're going to use emotion to craft bad, anti-science public policy, decent, rational people will point, laugh, and put you in your place.

[SkyDaddy7]

2. Agree! 1000%!!

[HuckleB]

4. I've never heard the New Zealand story. That's some scary stuff.

:hi:

[HuckleB]

3. And Rand Paul is involved with similar efforts via the AAPS.

Rand Paul part of AAPS doctors' group airing unusual views
http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100924/NEWS0106/309240084/1008/NEWS01/Rand+Paul+part+of+AAPS+doctors++group+airing+unusual+views

"...

The AAPS advances the claim that women who have abortions are at a higher risk for breast cancer, although the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society say there is no such link.

And the group opposes mandatory vaccinations and promotes a now-discredited study linking thimerosal, a longtime component of many vaccines, to autism in children.

Its journal published a study purporting to show such a connection by an obstetrician, Dr. Mark Geier, who testified for plaintiffs in vaccination injury cases, and his son, David, who worked as a consultant for plaintiffs on similar cases.

An overwhelming majority of the medical community, however, doesn’t accept that there is a link. As recently as Sept. 13, the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics published a study funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found no evidence suggesting that thimerosal, a preservative containing mercury, causes autism.

..."

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There is much more of the bizarre nature of the AAPS, and of Paul's support for them in the article.