Media Attention
The false data released by Wakefield led to a media frenzy and several campaigns against different types of vaccines. At the time, nobody outside of the scientific community understood that Wakefield’s findings were falsified, so many people honestly believed that vaccines might cause autism. The troublesome part about this is that some people have continued to spread false ideas about vaccines even after Wakefield’s study has been retracted and disproven.
Jenny McCarthy and her autistic son, Evan.
Source: USMagazine
Jenny McCarthy, a Hollywood actress and comedian, is one of the high profile celebrities who campaigned against the use of vaccines. She believed that vaccines caused autism in her young son. Even after the study was retracted, she continued to speak against the use of vaccines. She also incorrectly stated that giving her son a healthy diet “cured him” of his autism, even though scientists have no data supporting this.
The influence of the media and celebrities like McCarthy affected parents the most. Many who had vaccinated without a thought before were hesitant to vaccinate now, and many stopped vaccinating themselves or their children all together.
Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey, and her son, Evan, at a “Green Our Vaccines” march in Washington, DC against the use of certain chemicals in vaccines.
Source: NaturalNews
