The history of and hysteria around vaccines

Listen

Hour 1

PAUL A. OFFIT, MD, has a new book titled Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All. SETH MNOOKIN’s new book is The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear. Offit’s perspective as one of the most outspoken public figures on the autism and vaccination debate is informed by his work as Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Mnookin’s book tells the story of the powerful anti-vaccine campaign that was spurred by a fraudulent study published in 1998 in the medical journal, The Lancet, that purported to link MMR vaccination to autism. Together, Offit and Mnookin will discuss the science, myths, controversy and public health implications of the campaign against vaccinations.

Listen to the mp3

Listen:
[audio: 030111_100630.mp3]

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal