[...] normally intelligent commentators like Bill Maher groundlessly sound off against the vaccine, the Internet is abuzz with reports of potential swine flu [...]

I honestly think Bill Maher has completely lost his mind. On top of this, I recently saw a clip where he said people who have cancer should forgo chemotherapy, and that alternative treatments that can be found overseas are effective.

The funny thing is that he actually supports Gardasil, I think mostly because it pisses off the religious right.

His whole argument against flu shots has nothing to do with science and everything to do with conspiracy theories. It is one thing for him not to get a shot, but the fact that he is telling people (especially pregnant women) that they are idiots if they get the flu shot is horrendously stupid. How can people make these public statements with no science to back up their “theories”?

As someone currently suffering with the much dreaded swine flu, I encourage people to follow their doctor’s advice, rather than some tv host- hopefully most people will be intelligent enough to follow this? That being said, swine flu is pretty much the same as regular flu.

I’m sure the swine flu is just like the regular flu. The regular flu kills 36,000 Americans a year. I hope you get better soon, Lex.

He probably supports the Gardisil vaccine because he’s a spreader of HPV! He’s a freakin’ man-whore with strippers!

I am not planning on getting the regular flu shot or the H1N1 shot, but my kids are getting both. I believe they are effective and necessary. As for me, I am literally not allowed to get the shots as I had Guillain-Barre (Miller Fisher variant)when I was four years old. The shots can retrigger the disease. It says so right there on the consent form! So I have never gotten a flu shot.

Jeff B, can you give a summary on why you believe what you do. I clicked on your link, and saw something about Nazis performing mass sterilization. (Maybe this continued to something about the flu vaccine, but I didn’t have the patience to find out.

There is also an “interview” with someone who is supposedly an ex-vaccine researcher, but won’t give his name. I read part of this, but he doesn’t give any real facts.

If what you are saying is that there are side effects to vaccines, you are absolutely right. Nothing in this world in 100% safe. Also, nothing is 100% effective either. We are talking risk vs. benefit.

I find pseudoscience mongers often talk about “the truth”, but hate “the facts”. (a la Stephen Colbert)

Maybe I am misunderstanding? If so, please explain.

If you look at the FDA insert for the swine flu vaccine you will see that it has not been shown safe in pregnant women or children under age 18.

Let me get this straight…He doesn’t trust the government but he is a far left lib who wants the government to run or control everything…mmmm..makes total sense??????

@ Ken Stolton: Are we surprised your neighbor’s death would be blamed on the flu rather than what it really was, which is complications from treatment? How many cancer patients are killed by what chemo and radiation does to the veins and tissues of our bodies – but we’re told they died of cancer?

The weird thing about this is, Maher is generally not a conspiracy theorist nutcase. When it comes to evolutionary biology, 9/11 truthers, global climate change, the moon landing, and on and on and on, he explicitly rejects the unhinged conspiracy theories and listens to the actual experts who know what they’re talking about.

But when it comes to this anti-vax nonsense, he goes with the unhinged wack-jobs. It’s completely backwards from how he usually rolls. I don’t get it.