Tag: informed consent
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From Nuremberg to Now
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2026 (Jun. 4, 2026) — In 1947, a panel of American judges ended a trial with a single sentence that became the conscience of modern medicine: “The voluntary consent of the human subject is absolutely essential.” That is the first principle of the Nuremberg Code, and it was not written as…
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Vaccine Injuries, Illnesses Under Discussion Monday Afternoon
by Sharon Rondeau (Mar. 9, 2026) — As this story goes to press, “The Highwire” is hosting a conference in Washington, DC titled “Massive Epidemic of Vaccine Injury (MEVI)” sponsored by “The MAHA Institute.” The Vaccine Safety Research Foundation (VSRF) founded by entrepreneur Steve Kirsch is also broadcasting the event live. “Throughout the event,” “The…
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The Parasitic Octopus
by Robert Kalebra, ©2026 (Feb. 16, 2026) —”Government has no authority over the governed except by consent.” – The Declaration of Independence; See also United States ex rel. Polansky v. EXECUTIVE HEALTH RES, 143 S. Ct. 1720, 599 US 419, 216 L. Ed. 2d 370 – Supreme Court, 2023. This foundational principle stated in the Declaration of Independence embodies the essence…
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State of Legal Contests Over mRNA and Other Vaccine Mandates (as of January 2026)
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2026 (Jan. 16, 2026) — This article provides a comprehensive, plain‑language yet legally rigorous account of the current state of legal contests surrounding mRNA COVID‑19 vaccine mandates in the United States as of January 2026. It focuses primarily on students and healthcare workers, the two groups most frequently subjected to compulsory vaccination as…
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Informed Consent in Medical Care Requires Consideration of Alternatives
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2025 (Dec. 24, 2025) — I recently had a surprising discussion with a well-informed colleague on the fact that doctors must provide alternatives to patients, not just a single option. “Isn’t that just a formality?” they asked. It struck me that “just a formality” reveals the problem. I told…
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A Rational Moment: Kennedy and Oz Kill Back-Door Mandate for COVID Hospital Death Protocol that Killed Hundreds of Thousands
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2025 (Aug. 2, 2025) — In a quiet move with enormous consequences, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., advised by Dr. Mehmet Oz, formally repealed a Biden-era CMS policy through regulatory change embedded in the FY 2026 Inpatient Prospective Payment System…
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A Rational Moment: The Kennedy Bar is What Modernization Should Look Like
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2025 (Jun. 20, 2025) — Science must outlive the PR cycle. Modernization, as used today by industry lobbyists and public health officials, often amounts to a euphemism for deregulation: fewer checks, less transparency, and faster product pipelines with fewer questions asked. In contrast, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s approach…
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Uncontrolled Trials: Modern Vaccine Policy Violates Core Principles of Medical Ethics — and How to Build an Ethical Alternative
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2025 (Apr. 29, 2025) — The Quiet Abandonment of Medical Ethics There was a time when vaccines symbolized the triumph of science — a rare point of agreement between medicine and ethics. Today, that symbolism is being dangerously eroded. Behind the sanitized language of “routine care” and “wellness check…
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No Means No: the Child in Vermont Said No, So What Good is the Vermont Supreme Court Ruling?
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2024 (Aug. 3, 2024) — During the height of the COVID19 pandemic debacle, suggestive reasoning in advocating for Federal vaccine mandates was used to nudge the unthinkable. This observation is directed at a 2022 article by Fraser and Neuss in the journal Chest. At a time when it was…
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Vermont Supreme Court Ruling is a Threat to the Doctrine of Parent Informed Permission and Child Assent
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2024 (Aug. 1, 2024) — The Vermont Supreme Court’s recent decision to affirm a lower court’s ruling that the state and the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union are immune from legal challenges brought by the parents of a child who was mistakenly vaccinated against their wishes raises significant concerns regarding…
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21st Century Cures Act and FDA’s Codification: The Risks of “Minimal Risk” Waivers
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2024 (Jul. 11, 2024) — PUBLIC NOTICE: CONTRA FDA, The IPAK-EDU IRB, established this year, will require informed consent despite investigators’ appearances or opinions that the investigative procedures constitute “minimal risk.” We also call on all IRBs to hold investigators to appropriate standards regardless of FDA’s Congressionally approved and…
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Further Ethical Concerns on a Recent Self-Amplifying RNA Vaccine Study
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2024 (May 17, 2024) — Yesterday, I shared concerns over a recent self-amplifying RNA vaccine study: Safety of Self-Amplifying RNA Vaccines Will Be Studied for 12 Months, After Mass Safety Signal. Long-Term Safety Will be Studied by Unethical Non-Randomized Prospective Studies Without Controls Yesterday, I tweeted this observation: In…
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What the Supreme Court Ruling Means for Future Vaccine Mandates, and What SCOTUS Got Wrong
by James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2024 (Jan. 26, 2024) — This post is dedicated to the members of Feds for Freedom. NOTE: KUDOS TO THOSE WHO TRIED. I HOPE THIS IS READ BY THE RIGHT LAWYERS AT THE RIGHT TIME. IT’S VERY IMPORTANT. READ ON AND SHARE. The Supreme Court recently addressed three district…
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Tests the Appetite of Democrats for Science, Logic & Reason
by Dr. James Lyons-Weiler, PhD, Popular Rationalism, ©2023 (Jun. 21, 2023) — In the marketplace of credibility, fewer people have more going for him than Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Those of us who have worked with Bobby and know precisely the full extent of the length the man goes to vet information before he takes…
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“No Legal Consequence”
by Joseph DeMaio, ©2021 (Dec. 16, 2021) — On occasion, interested individuals will offer comments on your humble servant’s P&E postings. Normally, a response to such comments would appear in the comments section following the post. In other situations, a more thorough response will take the form of a longer, follow-up formal post. Such is…