Bad Advice from the Well Meaning

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I have a friend here in Gainesville, FL that I'll refer to as Annie. Annie goes to her temple, then squeezes out some yoga, talks of peace and love, smokes like a fiend, and then tells you how evil medicine is after she rips a bongload.  She's a sweetie that I would do anything for, as her kindness towards others allows me to approach her softly on issues where her science leaves much to be desired. 

 Then last week she posts this on her Facebook page:

Don't get a shot-- take a shot!  A glass of plant goo is claimed to exceed vaccination in protection against the influenza virus.


She's crossed a line here.  I simply posted, "You make my science hurt" because any time I inject science onto any of her postings I get to deal with the usual patchouli-soaked retorts that make me lose faith in humanity. 

I have to deal with this one a little more aggressively. Folks are welcome to down as much plant juice as they can stomach-- but let's not tell outright lies that can harm, or kill, others. 

The flu is no joke.  Many are stricken every year, and this disease kills three times more in the USA in the average year than die from Ebola virus.  Worse, approximately 100 of those are pediatric deaths.

Hospitalization events due to do flu are additional costs to an overburdened health care system.

These can be prevented for the most part with a flu vaccine. 

Of course, juice drinkers will tell you that the flu vaccine is just a conspiracy by Big Pharma to make a quick buck and inject people with poison.  

It is another case where I have to figure out how to softly communicate critical science to someone that will not want to hear it.   I'll talk to her today.  Let's see how it goes... 

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