You may have heard that vaccines cause autism, but are you unsure where this idea came from? Are you — or someone you know — suspicious of the U.S. government response to COVID-19? If so, you’ll be interested in a two-part series of articles that John Parkinson wrote about the challenges of communicating medical information to the public. He warns about dangerous medical misinformation, and the ease with which it spreads.
Parkinson is the assistant managing editor for Contagion, a news resource that covers all areas of infectious disease. So it’s no surprise that his first article in this series focuses on the myth that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine causes autism.
Measles is one of the most contagious diseases affecting humans worldwide. Effective vaccines are available to protect people against measles, including the MMR vaccine. It’s administered as a single shot followed later by a booster. Because measles is so infectious, at least 95% of the population must be immunized to prevent outbreaks of the disease.
But in 1998, a study claiming a connection between the MMR vaccine and autism was published in a medical journal. The study was discovered to be fraudulent, and the journal retracted it, but the damage to public perceptions remains. Read on….
The modern foundation of medical disinformation
John Parkinson’s article, “The Modern-Day Foundation of How Medical Disinformation Began,” examines the origins and consequences of medical misinformation. The article centers on a retracted 1998 paper by Andrew Wakefield. It falsely claimed a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism. Despite being discredited, the paper caused widespread public mistrust in vaccines, a sentiment that hasn’t subsided.
Parkinson notes that even though Wakefield’s paper was withdrawn in 2010, misinformation about vaccines, particularly the MMR vaccine, has led to lower vaccination rates and outbreaks of preventable diseases like measles.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, 24% of U.S. adults still believe the MMR vaccine causes autism. This dangerous medical misinformation has contributed to increased vaccine hesitancy and a decline in childhood immunization rates. For instance, between 2020 and 2022, U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates dropped from 95% to 93%, leaving many children unprotected.
Parkinson highlights the real-world consequences of vaccine skepticism. Measles cases surged in 2019 and outbreaks have continued. In the first half of 2024, 166 cases were reported in the U.S. The rise in measles cases underscores the dangers of misinformation, which has extended to COVID-19 vaccines, fueling ongoing public health challenges.
Through this analysis, Parkinson emphasizes how misinformation can spread far beyond its original source, with long-lasting and damaging effects.
You can read “The Modern-Day Foundation of How Medical Disinformation Began” here.
The chasm between the scientific method and public understanding
In his second article, “The Chasm Between the Scientific Method and How Medical Information is Understood,” Parkinson explores how public misunderstanding of science has fueled misinformation, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Anthony Fauci, former White House chief medical advisor, science is a self-correcting process that evolves with new data. Parkinson explains that many people think scientific findings are eternal, and are frustrated when information changes.
The article highlights that the public often misunderstands the scientific method. Science evolves, and new data improves our understanding, rather than invalidating previous findings. But people sometimes mistake scientific updates for flip-flopping when they’re actually about refining knowledge.
Parkinson discusses how this confusion has contributed to widespread and dangerous medical misinformation. This is especially concerning in health crises like COVID-19, where some people misinterpreted evolving guidance as dishonesty. This misperception may harm future public health efforts, particularly with rising skepticism around vaccines and pandemic responses.
“I am already seeing posts on social media that avian influenza is not real and that it has been made-up because it is an election year,” an epidemiologist told Parkinson.
Credible information is essential; people can trust reputable sources like the CDC. Respectful dialogue with vaccine skeptics is crucial. Listening with empathy can help build trust and plant seeds for future understanding.
Ultimately, Parkinson concludes, improving public education about the scientific method and critical thinking could combat misinformation. This will ensure better responses to future health crises.
You can read “The Chasm Between the Scientific Method and How Medical Information is Understood” here.
Make medical decisions based on evidence
The Parsemus Foundation has regularly sought to raise awareness about the importance of making medical decisions based on evidence. We welcome Parkinson’s articles as valuable resources on the topic.
Everyone can become better at separating health facts from health fiction! Learn more about finding evidence-based health information here.
