Examining the Vaccine Court
In recent years, thousands of families have brought cases against the federal Vaccine Court, claiming that vaccines caused their children's autism. Offit examines the Cedillo case in depth, focusing specifically on those elements of the hearings which seem to dismiss the possibility of a connection between Michelle Cedillo's autism and vaccine reactions.Offit evidently completed the book prior to the announcement of the case of Hannah Poling; a case which provided more ammunition for those who believe that vaccines do, in fact, have a causal connection to autism. In Poling's case, the family was actually awarded a settlement, without any hearings, on the basis that young Hannah's autism was caused by a combination of multiple vaccines and an underlying mitochondrial disorder.
Cheers and Jeers for Many in the Autism World
Offit spends a good deal of time praising and condemning individuals for their involvement in the autism/vaccine controversy. He focuses his negative comments on researchers, such as Mark and David Geier (whose highly controversial research suggests a strong autism/vaccine link); on journalists, such as Robert Kennedy Jr., and David Kirby (whose respective books suggest a conspiracy of silence regarding vaccines and autism); and on various activists. Others, including researcher/writer Dr. Roy Grinker and blogger Kathleen Seidel, receive high praise.At the end of the book, Offit includes a long "epilogue," which focuses on the impact of Jenny McCarthy, an actress/model turned writer and activist. McCarthy has had a huge impact on the autism community through her books and through her appearances on major TV shows, such as Oprah and Larry King. Offit makes it clear that the "university of Google" and "Mommy instinct" cannot and should not "trump her pediatrician's four years of medical school, three years of residency training in pediatrics and many years of experience ...."
The Bottom Line
False Prophets is a good read and an important piece of work. It's also a call to action. Unfortunately, perhaps, it seems to be a call to action not only to those who agree with Offit's perspective but to those who disagree.Those readers who believe strongly that scientific research is the road to true knowledge will find this book not only credible, but laudable. Those who lean toward the possibility that intuition and personal experience may lead to more answers than research studies, will find this book difficult to swallow. In fact, Offit's opposition is already reacting to this book as a flame reacts to gasoline.
Dr. Offit may have supposed that False Prophets would put the autism/vaccine controvery to rest. If so, he is mistaken.
