Reddit reviews The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear
We found 6 Reddit comments about The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
The raw numbers are available from the CDC and manufacturers. Instead, I recommend looking at some of the writing in the SBM vaccine section to start your understanding of the topic. There are also lighter sites lik Hug Me I'm Vaccinated. Or, you can go for a book like Seth Mnookin's excellent Panic Virus.
Edit: Fixed book link.
Edit2: Paul Offit also has multiple books on the topic and is enough of an expert that he actually invented a vaccine himself (though some will consider that bias).
Actually, there were many different studies, of which the famous Lancet article and its author were only a small part. Still other studies were done by a father/son duo in their basement, published in an un-peer-reviewed journal. I entreat you to read "The Panic Virus" for a nice look into the birth of the "vaccines cause autism" movement. He goes over the anti-vaccine movement from its roots.. did you know that there were people against the smallpox and polio vaccines? It's fascinating.
The 1 star comments are also a hilarious look into people in complete denial, but that's another story entirely.
What is interesting with both of these movements is that people start with a conclusion (HFCS is bad, vaccines are bad) and find "evidence" to support this (HFCS "has mercury in it", vaccines "cause autism"). It's conclusion-driven pseudo-science.
There's also a book specifically about this issue called The Panic Virus by Seth Mnookin. It does a really great job of explaining the roots of the public's mistrust of vaccines.
It also really humanizes the parents who believe this myth: they're scared, frustrated, tired, and just looking for answers. You can't really blame them for being desperate – though you certainly can blame Andrew Wakefield for spreading misinformation.
I've not read Jon Ronson, however in the same sub-genre of "journalistic nonfiction" you may like Seth Mnookin's Panic Virus.
get him to read The Panic Virus?
http://sethmnookin.com/the-panic-virus/
http://www.amazon.com/Panic-Virus-Story-Medicine-Science/dp/1439158649/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1
For an enlightening look into how and why parents (and others) believe vaccinations are bad, read Panic Virus by Seth Mnookin.