FULL STATEMENT: WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Independent Medical Alliance (IMA), the nation’s largest coalition of independent doctors and healthcare professionals, today noted that Danish researcher Poul Thorsen is expected to plead guilty on September 1 to federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering.

“Thorsen’s conduct has created questions about whether the medical community can trust his research,” said IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon. “Financial integrity and scientific integrity are connected. When someone is willing to falsify documents to take public funds, the public has every right to demand full accountability.”

Thorsen co-authored several highly cited studies in the early 2000s, including a large 2002 paper in the New England Journal of Medicine that argued no link exists between the MMR vaccine and autism. Those papers influenced vaccine policy for more than two decades.

According to federal prosecutors, while Thorsen was responsible for administering research funded by more than $11 million in CDC grants to Danish government agencies, he submitted more than a dozen fraudulent invoices bearing the forged signature of a CDC laboratory official. The invoices falsely claimed that a CDC laboratory had performed work and was owed grant money. Aarhus University transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to accounts it believed belonged to the CDC but which prosecutors allege were actually controlled by Thorsen. Federal authorities allege that Thorsen ultimately diverted more than $1 million in CDC grant funds for his personal use.

Thorsen was extradited to the United States this year, and prosecutors say he is expected to enter a guilty plea at the September 1 hearing in Atlanta.

“Americans are asked to trust the science,” Varon said. “That trust requires open books, clear disclosure of conflicts, and real consequences when researchers cross the line.”

IMA is calling on federal agencies to now review the methods and findings of every research program connected to Thorsen. 2/2

'From the Asia Pacific Symposium: A Global Vision for Patient-Centered Care'

Fresh from the 30th Annual Asia Pacific Symposium on Critical Care and Emergency Medicine in Indonesia, IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon and IMA Head of Medical & Scientific Affairs Dr. Ryan Cole joined us this week to share interviews with Dr. Anurag Saxena (Australia), Dr. Tri Maharani (Indonesia), Dr. Alzamani Idrose (Malaysia), and Dr. Alan Glombicki (Texas)—and to discuss why connecting independent voices around the world matters for the future of patient-centered medicine. Watch now: https://imahealth.org/from-the-asia-pacific-symposium/

Polyface Retreat: Real Food, Real Health

IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon speaks during Brownstone Institute’s 2026 Polyface Retreat in Swoope, Virginia. Stay tuned for more updates and learn more about the event here: https://brownstone.org/polyface-retreat-2026/

THIS WEEK! Oral Medicine: The Missing Link in Whole-Body Health

This week, IMA Head of Medical & Scientific Affairs Dr. Ryan Cole will be joined by IMA Senior Fellow, Dentistry and Nutrition Dr. Jennifer Hibberd for an important discussion on the connection between oral and whole-body health—and why what happens in the mouth shouldn’t be treated separately from the rest of the body. Wednesday, September 2nd at 7pm ET. Register now: https://geni.us/register-for-webinars

Dr. Joseph Varon: America’s Drug Shortage Is a National Security Crisis

America can replace heart valves, sequence genomes, and develop breakthrough therapies—yet hospitals still face shortages of antibiotics, IV fluids, and other essential medications. In his latest article published by Brownstone Institute, IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon argues that America’s fragile pharmaceutical supply chain is no longer just a healthcare problem—it’s a national security vulnerability. Read now: https://brownstone.org/articles/americas-drug-shortage-is-a-national-security-crisis/

Medical school ends. A doctor’s education doesn’t.

IMA Academy gives independent physicians a way to pass on what they’ve learned in the clinic—through accredited courses that help educate other clinicians and are free for patients, caregivers, and families to watch.

The first course is already live, with an Integrative Cancer Care Series coming this fall. Your support helps bring the next course from the clinic to the classroom.

Right now, every gift is doubled up to $250,000, thanks to our generous donors Nick and Dee Adams! Learn more or support IMA Academy today: https://imahealth.org/support-IMA-academy/

Learn more about IMA Academy: https://academy.imahealth.org/

After Pennsylvania’s “Measles Deaths” Collapse Under Autopsy Review, IMA Asks: Can We Just Have Transparent Truth? People’s Lives Are in the Balance.

Governor Shapiro announced “measles” fatalities before the forensic record was complete. The county coroner and pathologist found the infant died of other causes.

FULL STATEMENT: Washington, DC – In the aftermath of the Pennsylvania Governor’s debunked claim about measles deaths, the Independent Medical Alliance (IMA), the nation’s largest coalition of independent physicians, today called on politicians and elected officials to immediately cease turning incomplete health data into campaign ammunition, particularly as the midterm elections approach. 1/2

“What happened in Pennsylvania is shameful,” said Dr. Joseph Varon, President and Chief Medical Officer, Independent Medical Alliance. “A governor used an infant’s tragic death to score political points, even though the autopsy did not support the Governor’s assertions.”

Last week, Governor Josh Shapiro announced Pennsylvania’s first “measles” deaths in 35 years and used the moment to attack federal vaccination policy. But Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni and pathologist Dr. Wayne Ross found that a newborn who later tested positive for measles died of a traumatic laceration of the spleen and massive blood loss. Measles was not listed as the cause of death or a contributing factor. A second death remains undisclosed, but the coroner’s office has said it has no record of measles as the cause of death in either case.

“If an official wants to tell the country a baby died of measles, he should wait for the autopsy and release the death certificate,” continued Varon. “Anything less is fear dressed up as public health.”

IMA researchers, including Dr. Varon, hosted a webinar earlier this year entitled “Beyond the Headlines: Evidence-Based Treatment for Measles,” documenting evidence-based measles care, including high-dose vitamin A shown in trials to reduce mortality and complications.

“Vaccination policy is a legitimate scientific debate. Cause of death is a medical determination,” concluded Dr. Varon. “Stop the fear mongering. People’s health, and possibly their lives, are at stake. Independent doctors will not play along.” 2/2

'Beyond the Headlines: Evidence-Based Treatment for Measles' - Watch recent IMA webinar here:
https://imahealth.org/beyond-the-headlines-evidence-based-treatment-for-measles/

Dr. Joseph Varon: Who Is Actually Practicing Medicine? When the Insurance Company Becomes the Doctor

Doctors remain responsible for their patients—but increasingly, insurers, prior authorization systems, and algorithms can determine whether the care they recommend actually happens. In a new article, IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon asks a fundamental question: If physicians are accountable for patient outcomes, shouldn’t they also have a real say in treatment decisions?

Read now: https://imahealth.org/who-is-actually-practicing-medicine-when-the-insurance-company-becomes-the-doctor/

LIVE TONIGHT! Oral Medicine: The Missing Link in Whole-Body Health

On tonight's show, IMA Head of Medical & Scientific Affairs Dr. Ryan Cole will be joined by IMA Senior Fellow, Dentistry and Nutrition Dr. Jennifer Hibberd for an important discussion on the connection between oral and whole-body health—and why what happens in the mouth shouldn’t be treated separately from the rest of the body. Wednesday, September 2nd at 7pm ET. 

Ways to watch:
• Register to watch live on Zoom: https://geni.us/register-for-webinars
• Livestream on X: https://x.com/Honest_Medicine
• Livestream on Rumble: https://geni.us/IMA-Rumble-Sep2
• Livestream on YouTube: https://geni.us/IMA-YT-Sep2

The Health Freedom Movement Is Here to Stay

A new Axios article, 𝟣 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘔𝘈𝘏𝘈 𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘖𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘙𝘍𝘒 𝘑𝘳., examines whether the ideas behind MAHA will endure beyond RFK Jr.—and why demands for greater transparency, accountability, and scrutiny of medical institutions are likely to remain part of the national conversation.

IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon weighs in on why the health freedom movement is only gaining momentum. Read now: https://geni.us/axios-future-of-health

CIA Records: Officials Privately Cited Far Higher COVID Infection & Far Lower Fatality Risk, Then Followed the Pharma Playbook Anyway

FULL STATEMENT: Washington, DC – The Independent Medical Alliance (IMA), the nation’s largest coalition of independent physicians, researchers, and clinicians, today called for a formal investigation into newly released records from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) showing that senior officials privately acknowledged, as early as May 2020, that COVID-19 had already spread far more widely than the public was told, thereby collapsing the fatality assumptions used to justify historic lockdowns, school closures, mask dictates, and later mRNA shot mandates. 1/2

The records also place a sitting Pfizer director inside the room briefing decision-makers.

“How much worse does this have to get before someone is held to account?” asked Dr. Joseph Varon, IMA President and Chief Medical Officer. “Officials had data showing the virus was already widely circulating and far less lethal than the models they released to the public. They buried that reality, kept the emergency machinery running, and cleared a path for a product that made pharmaceutical companies billions.”

“I can tell you that, on the ground we were seeing numbers far different than the ‘experts’ were spouting on cable news,” said Dr. Varon, who spent 715 consecutive days treating COVID patients at a hospital with one of the nation’s highest survival rates.

On May 7, 2020, CIA Chief Operating Officer Andy Makridis led a briefing with Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA commissioner, member of the CIA’s External Advisory Board, and, by then, a director of Pfizer, which stood to gain billions of dollars with the mRNA shot.

The Agency’s summary of the meeting, classified for more than six years until Sen. Paul’s August 29, 2026 release, states that, on ‘herd immunity,’ Dr. Gottlieb discounted 2 early major studies from Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties, including one led by now NIH Director Dr. Jay Battacharya, showing much higher early rates of seroprevalence and much lower risk of mortality.

But Gottlieb then says that he believes nationally, the seroprevalence is “about 20–25%” which, in his opinion, was “still insufficient for herd immunity at the R₀ (BRR) value of 3.” That private figure is four to five times higher than what Dr. Gottlieb was telling the public at the same time. On April 17, 2020, he estimated a national infection rate of about 5 percent. In an August 2020 CBS News appearance, he cited roughly 8 percent. The classified number was never shared with the families whose lives were being reordered by policy.

“If twenty-five percent of the country had already been infected by early May 2020, then official infection-fatality models used to lock down cities, empty classrooms, and later compel an mRNA product were dramatically overstated,” said Dr. Varon. “Herd immunity was building fast, but the big pharma PR machine and product pipeline was building faster.”

By the time the shots were rolled out in December 2020, months of additional spread had almost certainly pushed population immunity even higher.

The Santa Clara County study led by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, released in April 2020, had already shown local seroprevalence far above case counts and an infection fatality rate far below early official projections. A similar Los Angeles County finding pointed the same way. At a basic reproduction number of 3, classical herd-immunity thresholds sit near two-thirds of the population.

“Transparency and honest medicine took a back seat,” Dr. Varon said. “Congress should follow Sen. Paul’s record where it leads: who knew the infection-fatality picture was overstated, who decided the public would not hear it, and who stood to gain from keeping the country on a pharmaceutical footing.” 2/2

Chatbots, Isolation & Teen Mental Health: What Parents Need to Know

As more teens turn to AI chatbots for mental health advice and emotional support, what happens when technology starts replacing real human connection? This morning, IMA Senior Fellow, Psychiatry Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring joined host Jan Jeffcoat on The National Desk to discuss the risks of teens leaning on highly agreeable AI chatbots—and why parents should prioritize real-world social connection, physical activity, purpose, and access to human support. Watch now.

Read more: https://imahealth.org/teens-ai-chatbots-and-mental-health-what-parents-should-watch-for/

Dr. Joseph Varon: Saving Lives Should Not Require Permission

In his latest Brownstone Institute article, IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon looks back at more than two centuries of medical progress—and argues that protocols should support clinical judgment, never replace it. From the earliest efforts at resuscitation to lessons from COVID, he makes the case for restoring responsibility, flexibility, and courage at the bedside. 

Read now: https://brownstone.org/articles/saving-lives-should-not-require-permission/?cb=1788446488796

'Oral Medicine: The Missing Link in Whole-Body Health'

On this week's show, IMA Head of Medical & Scientific Affairs Dr. Ryan Cole was joined by IMA Senior Fellow, Dentistry and Nutrition Dr. Jennifer Hibberd for an important discussion on the connection between oral and whole-body health—and why what happens in the mouth shouldn’t be treated separately from the rest of the body. Watch now: https://imahealth.org/oral-medicine-the-missing-link-in-whole-body-health/

Vitamin K for Newborns: Understanding the Risks, Benefits & Alternatives

Vitamin K is routinely given to newborns to help prevent a rare but real bleeding disorder—but what options do parents have? IMA Senior Fellow, Pediatrics Dr. Katherine Welch joins us to discuss vitamin K deficiency bleeding, what’s in the standard vitamin K shots, the oral vitamin K alternative, and why it’s important for parents to keep asking questions and make informed decisions. Watch now.

Learn more: https://imahealth.org/the-newborn-vitamin-k-shot-your-questions-answered/

LIVE THIS WEEK: Understanding Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)

This week, host and IMA Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs Dr. Ryan Cole will be joined by Dr. Keith Berkowitz—a founding member of FLCCC (now IMA) and founder and medical director of the Center for Balanced Health—for a discussion on Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), including common symptoms, potential triggers, diagnosis, and approaches to managing the condition. Don’t miss it! Wednesday, September 9th at 7pm ET. Register now: https://geni.us/register-for-webinars