Dr Rick

Vaccines activate the immune system by exposing it to non-virulent epitopes of an infectious agent. The immune system response to a vaccine carries-over to prevent infection by the targeted pathogen. The beliefs of homeopathy have nothing to do with this process.

There is no vaccine made by simply diluting a target pathogen, and there is no practical correlation between homeopathy, a thoroughly discredited belief, and vaccination, a practice that has saved hundreds of millions of lives.

Rick

Dr Rick

It's derived from a relatively benign vaccinia virus which induces immunity to the much more dangerous variola virus that causes smallpox.

Rick

Boro Nut

Exactly Rick. Vaccines involve needles as well, so you know that it's proper medicine, not sugarlumps like in homeopathy. The only medicine that works with sugarlumps is the polo virus, and this has been cured in everybody except the royal family, who still play occasionally.

Boro Nut

Jeremy Pallant

[MODERATOR]

Please, everybody. Keep it civil.

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tronvillain

Corwin:
*chuckle*

As I said, you do not attempt to treat allergies or viral infections with something that causes similar symptoms. You do not attempt to cure someone of smallpox by giving them a smallpox vaccine! Yes, it contains similar antigens (in the form of a related virus), but the mechanism of prevention is known, and does not support the doctrine of "like cures like." Is it really that hard to understand?

Oh, and Corwin.... where are those homeopaths who do not believe in the power of dilution again?

[ November 28, 2002: Message edited by: tronvillain ]</p>

beausoleil

Since the placebo effect is real, homeopathy clearly serves a useful function in society - it is a means of dispensing a placebo while imparting confidence in the patient that their condition will improve. I'll lay odds a number of popular medicines are currently prescribed that will turn out, in time, to 'work' in the same way, in spite of published accounts of double blind trials.

Just think how much it would cost to give all those people real medicines!

Maybe scientific medicine should be a little careful here - how many people were prescribed ulcer treatments of dubious utility before heliobacter was discovered? Would giving them homeopathic treatment have been any worse?

PS If you're about to write a post that begins "So you think blah blah blah is ok because blah blah blah..." please save your outrage, because I'm sure whatever you write will not be what I think. Just musing aloud.

LordSnooty

What about people that put their faith in homeopathic medicine at the expense of their health?

I suppose they don't matter, as long as the ignorant masses have their sugar pills.

It'll rot their teeth, too.

Paul

Valmorian

</strong>

I would hope not, since part of what double blind studies are FOR is to eliminate the placebo effect as the cause.

</strong>

No, you're right, it isn't any worse. It is a matter of intent, however. I'd be concerned if my physician was prescribing me placebo medication for a real illness.

Living Dead Chipmunk

Can someone explain the placebo effect to me? I've never fully understood the concept.

tronvillain

It is essentially the improvement (above and beyond that which would happen if nothing was done) which results from believing that something will improve your condition despite the fact that it has no physical effects.