Highlights of the article:
Those backing Dr. Offit say he was forced into the role [of publicizing the pro-vaccine view]. Opponents of vaccines have held rallies, appeared on talk shows like “Oprah” and “Imus in the Morning,” been the heroes of made-for-TV movies and found a celebrity spokeswoman in Jenny McCarthy, the actress and former Playboy model who has an autistic son. Meanwhile, the response from public health officials has been muted and couched in dull scientific jargon.
And:
She [Dr. Nancy J. Minshew, a neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and a leading autism expert] blamed journalists for “creating a conspiracy where there was none.” By acting as if there were two legitimate sides to the autism debate, she said, “the media has fed on this — it’s great for ratings.”
Many doctors now argue that reporters should treat the antivaccine lobby with the same indifference they do Holocaust deniers, AIDS deniers and those claiming to have proof that NASA faked the Moon landings.
I love Dr. Minshew's point, and the call from doctors for the press to treat these claims with indifference. This is exactly how one needs to treat arbitrary claims. The only problem for Dr. Offit is that I won't read his book because I don't need to hear arguments against the arbitrary!
I can say that because I've looked into this autism-vaccine issue myself, and it's pretty easy to understand. However, I wish I could find the equivalent of these doctors who understand the arbitrary to help me sort through all of science news. I am really struggling with how to keep up with scientific news because there is so much junk science out there and I haven't found any experts I can trust. I've retreated into skepticism about anything that I can't understand based on my own limited knowledge. Does anybody have any suggestions for a good science news source for laymen?
The fact that physicians like Dr. Offit receive death threats, and even threats against their children, speaks volumes about the nature of both the anti-vaccine and vaccines-cause-autism movements.
ReplyDeleteIt's unfortunate that so many good people are misled by the anti-vaccine movement's veneer of junk science. Just as environmentalism hoodwinks good people with its own junk science, I know too many smart and honest people who've been duped by anti-vaccine studies that use all the right-sounding scientific terminology to appear legitimate, but at root are driven by nothing but an arbitrary disregard for basic logic and facts (such as correlation does not equal causation).
The courage of Dr. Offit to "enter into the fray" (to use the words from the NYT article) is beyond admirable. His actions in defending truth and the value of life-enhancing technology makes him a modern day hero who is deserving of our gratitude and support.