Diseases once near eradication are re-emerging. Here’s how science and federal policy are squaring off.
Measles, once nearly eradicated in the United States, is back, along with whooping cough, raising urgent questions for public health.
Herd immunity protects the most vulnerable. This short doc traces the rise and fall of some vaccine-preventable diseases, from the widespread acceptance of the polio vaccine in the 1950s to the skepticism fueled by a discredited 1998 paper that attempted to show a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Experts explain how scientific communication missteps, news media coverage, celebrity influencers and social media posts have amplified misinformation, despite decades of research that reaffirms vaccine safety. The story examines policy shifts in President Trump’s second term, including the appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services.
View transcript here.