The Boston Globe on vaccines and autism. “How an unlikely theory pushed the Hansens – and others – to reject many routine childhood vaccinations dramatizes the biggest dilemma in public health today. Most diseases prevented by vaccines, like polio, measles, and whooping cough, are now pretty uncommon, and many people like the Hansens believe the benefits of vaccines don’t outweigh the risks. To increase public acceptance of vaccines, then, should health authorities spin the facts to make the diseases seem deadlier and the shots seem safer? The surprising thing is that they already do. And whether we like it or not, it may be better that way.”
