by Paul A. Offit
from Columbia University Press
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Editorial ReviewA London researcher was the first to assert that the combination measles-mumps-rubella vaccine known as MMR caused autism in children. Following this "discovery," a handful of parents declared that a mercury-containing preservative in several vaccines was responsible for the disease. If mercury caused autism, they reasoned, eliminating it from a child's system should treat the disorder. Consequently, a number of untested alternative therapies arose, and, most tragically, in one such treatment, a doctor injected a five-year-old autistic boy with a chemical in an effort to cleanse him of mercury, which stopped his heart instead. Children with autism have been placed on stringent diets, subjected to high-temperature saunas, bathed in magnetic clay, asked to swallow digestive enzymes and activated charcoal, and injected with various combinations of vitamins, minerals, and acids. Instead of helping, these therapies can hurt those who are most vulnerable, and particularly in the case of autism, they undermine childhood vaccination programs that have saved millions of lives. An overwhelming body of scientific evidence clearly shows that childhood vaccines are safe and does not cause autism. Yet widespread fear of vaccines on the part of parents persists. In this book, Paul A. Offit, a national expert on vaccines, challenges the modern-day false prophets who have so egregiously misled the public and exposes the opportunism of the lawyers, journalists, celebrities, and politicians who support them. Offit recounts the history of autism research and the exploitation of this tragic condition by advocates and zealots. He considers the manipulation of science in the popular media and the courtroom, and he explores why society is susceptible to the bad science and risky therapies put forward by many antivaccination activists.
Customer Reviews:
- Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
- Well-written, informative and brave
The first thing I thought when reading this book is "Paul A. Offit obviously knows what he's talking about. And he's damned courageous for talking about it."
The fact is this: Vaccines do NOT cause autism. There is no definitive proof that vaccines cause autism. And yet parents, grasping for straws and irrationally afraid, are willing to deny their children adequate medical care by not getting them vaccinated. There's obviously a lot of hysteria about autism and its causes; plenty of that hysterica can... more info
- Factual information
Very informative and factual book. It makes sense of all the confusing information that is out there.
- A must-read!!!
As a pediatrician, I have experienced tremendous frustration when parents refuse vaccines based on theories that have clearly been proven false. What's more is that many parents believe what they have seen on TV rather than what their child's doctor is telling them. This is something that I will never understand...
Dr. Offit's book does an excellent job at explaining the origin of the notion that vaccines may cause autism, and then goes on to explain, in detail, how scientific studies have shown... more info
- A Very Nice Introduction to the Debate Over Whether or Not Vaccines Cause Autism
I think this is a very accurate and brief summation of the vaccines-cause-autism debate from a medical standpoint (being that most credible doctors view the hypothesis to be complete bullocks.) Having read many of the papers discussed in this book prior to reading it, I think Dr. Offit did an outstanding job in analysing them. I am not suprising by the several negative reviews this book has (though I do question how some of those who did review it can do so without having read it) but I find that to be an... more info
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