The Big Pharma conspiracy theory

Blaskiewicz, Robert J.

doi:10.1179/2047480613z.000000000142

Cited by 50 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 1 publication

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…From the point of view of word frequency, it emerged that Pos/Neu web pages had a relatively higher focus on vaccination itself and aspects relative to health. By contrast, Neg/Amb web pages exploited more the unfamiliar word “squalene”, politically-related words (conspiracy theories), 15 names of major vaccine manufacturers and other registered trademarks (could be ascribable to the so-called “Big Pharma conspiracy theory)” 29 and accentuated fatal risks (a high usage of the word “death”). The observed differences in quantitative language led us to analyze Neg/Amb pages in a more detailed way.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comprehensive analysis of Italian web pages mentioning squalene-based influenza vaccine adjuvants reveals a high prevalence of misinformation

Panatto

Amicizia

Arata

et al. 2018

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Squalene-based adjuvants have been included in influenza vaccines since 1997. Despite several advantages of adjuvanted seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines, laypeople's perception of such formulations may be hesitant or even negative under certain circumstances. Moreover, in Italian, the term “squalene” has the same root as such common words as “shark” (squalo), “squalid” and “squalidness” that tend to have negative connotations. This study aimed to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze a representative sample of Italian web pages mentioning squalene-based adjuvants used in influenza vaccines. Every effort was made to limit the subjectivity of judgments. Eighty-four unique web pages were assessed. A high prevalence (47.6%) of pages with negative or ambiguous attitudes toward squalene-based adjuvants was established. Compared with web pages reporting balanced information on squalene-based adjuvants, those categorized as negative/ambiguous had significantly lower odds of belonging to a professional institution [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.12, p = .004], and significantly higher odds of containing pictures (aOR = 1.91, p = .034) and being more readable (aOR = 1.34, p = .006). Some differences in wording between positive/neutral and negative/ambiguous web pages were also observed. The most common scientifically unsound claims concerned safety issues and, in particular, claims linking squalene-based adjuvants to the Gulf War Syndrome and autoimmune disorders. Italian users searching the web for information on vaccine adjuvants have a high likelihood of finding unbalanced and misleading material. Information provided by institutional websites should be not only evidence-based but also carefully targeted towards laypeople. Conversely, authors writing for non-institutional websites should avoid sensationalism and provide their readers with more balanced information.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comprehensive analysis of Italian web pages mentioning squalene-based influenza vaccine adjuvants reveals a high prevalence of misinformation

Panatto

Amicizia

Arata

et al. 2018

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Most industrialized countries have robust systems of universal healthcare, but the United States is lacking in it (Lasser et al 2006). Not coincidentally, it has been empirically established that the perception that Big Pharma is just a business whose sole motivation is profit, actually induces conspiracy mongering (Blaskiewicz 2013). A system of universal healthcare would decrease that perception, and in turn, would reduce the proliferation of medical conspiracy theories.…”

Section: Ethics and Implications For Policymentioning

confidence: 99%

Medical conspiracy theories: cognitive science and implications for ethics

Andrade

2020

Med Health Care and Philos

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although recent trends in politics and media make it appear that conspiracy theories are on the rise, in fact they have always been present, probably because they are sustained by natural dispositions of the human brain. This is also the case with medical conspiracy theories. This article reviews some of the most notorious health-related conspiracy theories. It then approaches the reasons why people believe these theories, using concepts from cognitive science. On the basis of that knowledge, the article makes normative proposals for public health officials and health workers as a whole, to deal with conspiracy theories, in order to preserve some of the fundamental principles of medical ethics.

show abstract

“…[12] In a study titled "The Great Theory of Pharma", Robert Blascoitz et al In 2017 examined diseases caused by humans. In this study, one of the most interesting allegations of human-caused diseases during the outbreak of H1N1 swine flu in 2009 was raised [13]. Mike Adams, a medical activist who advocates almost any conspiracy theory, made the accusation in 2009 in a bizarre little song called 'Don't Inject Me'.The big pharmaceutical companies are doing almost anything, just to make money with the flu vaccine.…”

Section: • Coronavirusmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Finally, the way of dealing with affirmative evidence uses common mental shortcuts, misconceptions, and irrational cues that make all conspiracy theories more memorable, convincing, and transferable. This misleading combination of mistakes makes it very difficult to deal with conspiracy theories [13].…”

Section: • Coronavirusmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Economic Health Study for Treatment on COVID-19 Disease

badi¹,

Rahbar²,

Nazem³

et al. 2020

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this paper, drug treatment and vaccination are compared healthy and economically. In this comparison, in addition to comparing economic costs, it has paid attention to patients' recovery. To reach the goal, the prevalence of Covid-19 virus in New York is modeled by using the SEIR dynamic model. The SEIR dynamic model is used to model the period of epidemic diseases. Then, three disease control scenarios are evaluated economically. Treatment and vaccination are two important issues in controlling epidemic diseases. To control the disease, each of these two methods has economic costs and benefits. The main purpose of this paper is to compare the two methods of vaccination and treatment economically. Although the results of the study show that vaccination can be effective in preventing the epidemic of the disease than treatment, but due to the high cost and genetic mutation of the virus, vaccination is not the optimal method for both health and the economy in the long term.

show abstract

The Big Pharma conspiracy theory

Cited by 50 publications

References 1 publication

A comprehensive analysis of Italian web pages mentioning squalene-based influenza vaccine adjuvants reveals a high prevalence of misinformation

A comprehensive analysis of Italian web pages mentioning squalene-based influenza vaccine adjuvants reveals a high prevalence of misinformation

Medical conspiracy theories: cognitive science and implications for ethics

An Economic Health Study for Treatment on COVID-19 Disease

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About