The Panic Virus

Earlier this week we at the School of Public Health, in partnership with the New York State Writers Institute, had the privilege of hosting Seth Mnookin, author of The Panic Virus:  A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear published in January, 2011 by Simon and Schuster.  Two years ago, before Seth was even a father (he now has a 16-month old child), he heard his friends talk about their concerns related to childhood vaccinations and the dangers they thought were associated with them.  He was curious and began to look into the topic; the result is this excellent study which not only champions what public health professionals have been saying all along but also explores a very important issue in today's internet environment:  how people decide what is true.

A Simon and Schuster piece on Mnookin's book says:  "Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the myth that vaccines cause developmental disorders [including autism] lives on.  It has been popularized by media personalities and legitimized by journalists who claim that they are just being fair to 'both sides' of an issue about which there is no real debate . . .

"Mnookin explains how dishonest researchers and snake-oil salesmen have taken advantage of desperate parents, and how the media--by ignoring facts and pretending that all points of view are equally valid--has through its irresponsible coverage fueled a controversy that never should have arisen in the first place.  He explores how cultural relativism and insular online communities have blurred the distinction between facts and feelings to the point that the traditional American ethos of individualism has been transformed into one in which individualized notions of reality, no matter how bizarre or irrational, are repeatedly validated.  In addition, he gives readers fresh and fascinating insights into the scientific process, the nature of knowledge, and the subconscious forces that drive much of our daily lives."

Mr. Mnookin, who has an undergraduate degree in the History of Science from Harvard, was right at home speaking to a small group of journalism students and faculty members during an afternoon seminar and an outstanding presenter at the evening event we held on our campus which attracted public health professionals, students, parents, and others from the community interested in this topic.  Seth spared no one:  he was articulate about public health's failures in combating this myth and urged us to become much more skilled and capable of working with the media to get our side of the story out to the public.  Hear!  Hear!

I think every public health student and professional should read this book!