This week brought back fears from a decade ago. Michele Bachmann, a US Republican presidential candidate, claimed that the HPV vaccine was a "very dangerous drug" that could lead to "mental retardation".

HPV or human papillomavirus is a virus that is associated with the development of genital warts and cervical cancer. Just this week, the Lancet reported that the global cervical cancer rates have increased over the past 30 years to 454,000 cases in 2010.

Clearly cervical cancer is an issue that cannot be ignored. Vaccines against HPV are life-saving.

Bachmann’s claims drew a sharp response from the American Academy of Pediatrics who stated that her comments have “absolutely no scientific validity.” To date over 35 million doses have been administered in the US with an excellent safety record.

Why did she bother to meddle with science? The answer is deadly simple: politics. Republican rival Rick Perry issued an executive order requiring girls in Texas to get the HPV vaccine in 2007. In a heated debate, Bachmann suggested that the decision was made in return for political donations from Merck, the manufacturers of Gardasil (the HPV vaccine used in the US).

Conflicts of interest are a separate issue; the focus here is on science.

The concern amongst health care professionals is the damaging impact false claims have on vaccination rates. The perceptions of vaccines changed forever after a now retracted article was published in the Lancet in 1998. In this small study of 12 children the now-disgraced British doctor Wakefield linked the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism. The media coverage and speculation that followed led to UK vaccination rates dropping to 80% in 2003-4.

Vaccine fears have fueled the recent outbreaks of measles. Before the MMR vaccine, measles was thought to be “as inevitable as death and taxes”, mumps infection could lead to sterility in post-pubescent boys and pregnant women that contracted rubella had children with serious congenital defects. The MMR vaccine was a public health success before Wakefield.

Politicians can throw mud at each other all they like but when they enter the ring of public health, they jeopardise putting all our health at risk. Society cannot let another vaccine crisis strike.

A US bioethicist has stepped forward and offered $10,000 to Bachmann’s charity of choice if she can prove a claim that the HPV vaccine caused mental retardation. Will she take on the challenge? For the sake of public health, hopefully not.

The great swapthon

The BBC 'Great Swapathon' voucher bid to boost healthy living
A child eating a healthy lunch Families are being urged to swap the sugary snacks for strawberries or other healthy options

Families in England are to be offered £250m in vouchers in a bid to encourage them to eat healthily and exercise.

Apparently 4 million £50 voucher books will be on offer through the News of the World and Asda stores.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: "It's a great example of how government, the media, industry and retailers can work together to help families to be healthy.

Is there any evidence-base for this?

Basically the money could go to 5 million familes if you give them £50. Therefore of the 16.5 million families in the UK about one in every three could get the money. see familes in Britain publication.

I filled in the questionnaire for me and my two kids, and this is the sort of advice I got

'Swap Fizzy drinks (and drinks with added sugars) for water, unsweetened juicds or milk',

'Swap fry up for grill-ups',

Swap creamy indian dishes for tomat-based sauces or grilled dishes

They then ask you to:

Tell us how it went?

Once you’ve tried your swap for a week, it’s time to share how it went. Your experiences and ideas are a valuable part of the Swapathon. Your shared tips help support everyone taking part, and encourage others on to make their own changes. See what our Swapathon community are saying.

The website annoying, it is slow, and its pretty one dimensional and repetitive. If I tried this for a week I'd be swapping my computer. In fact save your breath and swap this site for some exercise instead.

Are we surprized or do they think the public is stupid. Food policy experts have previously questioned the wisdom of allowing big brands to become involved in telling the public how to eat more healthily.

I say give the money to schools, they could do something useful with £250 million. I'll let you know when the adverts start to my email address

If you’re reading this you’re probably thinking what has cross promotional marketing to do with children. Personally when I first heard the term I was thinking what exactly is it?

Simply, cross-promotional marketing is the act of strategically aligning businesses that target the same market but do not directly compete with each other. Whenever two organizations join forces to attract their mutual customers they can more than double the number of prospects they each reach.

For example, in 1996 MacDonalds and Disney signed a ten year deal to cross-promote. Get it? Same market, but not in direct competition and double the reach. A subsequent survey by Eric Schlosser of US schoolchildren found that the only fictional character with greater recognitions than Ronald MacDonald – who had 96% recognition – was Santa Claus. Oh, by the way, MacDonalds operates more playgrounds – designed to attract children and their parents to its restaurants – than any other private entity in the US;

This sort of promotion is also seen with film tie-ins such as Burger King and Toy Story.

Sorry to be a spoilt sport, but given the obesity epidemic - currently 10% of children worldwide are either overweight or obese - it’s time to rethink cross-promotion.

Beware; next time you are out and about, particularly if you have children, you will start to see cross-promotion all around you.