I'm a few days late to this one, but pediatrician Rahul Parikh, MD, has written an engaging article on Salon analyzing the media's role in perpetuating the twelve-year-long myth that the MMR vaccine was causing an autism epidemic. He writes:
The anti-vaccine hysteria, after all, began like so many other big stories: with a press conference. That's where Andrew Wakefield first staked his claim that the MMR vaccine caused autism, according to Paul Offit's book, "Autism's False Prophets." Wakefield wasn't flanked by doctors or hospital officials but by P.R. folks he had hired himself. "One case of [autism] is too many," he said. "It's a moral issue for me, and I can't support the continued use of [the MMR vaccine] until this issue has been resolved."
The problem, of course, is that a news conference loads a gun that the media usually pulls the trigger on: Headlines like "Ban Three-in-One Jab, Doctors Urge" started rolling off the presses. While measles made a tragic resurgence, few reporters attempted to scrutinize Wakefield or his audacious claim.
The rest of the article is worth reading.
Via Covering Health
Previously: It's over: No MMR vaccine-autism connection
