Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 study linking the MMR vaccine to autism sparked one of the most influential—and damaging—public health controversies of our time. In this episode of Harmonious Gentlemen, we unpack how flawed science, media amplification, and misplaced skepticism helped popularize vaccine hesitancy. This is a conversation about evidence, accountability, and why responsible science communication matters now more than ever.
NOTES AND RESOURCES:
Overview
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3136032/
Wakefield Study
https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(97)11096-0.pdf
https://share.google/yMcVsIyojuexBD6Rg
The Doctor Who Fooled the World - Brian Deer
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7759370/
Brian Deer Articles
https://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c7452
MMR does not cause Autism Studies and Links
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC554056/
https://www.canvax.ca/sites/default/files/201806/IAC_MMRVaccineDoesNotCauseAutism_2017.pdf (links within)
Article with more Links
https://www.uchealth.org/today/mmr-vaccines-do-not-cause-autism/
Nationwide Study (over 650,000 sample size)
https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M18-2101
Article on Vaccine hesitancy
