[troutman]

The Wired article I linked in this thread by Amy Wallace is generating a lot of buzz:

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=2353

One of the most engaging and clearly-written pieces of science journalism over the last year or so was published in Wired magazine last week. Now in the midst of a firestorm of attention, Amy Wallace’s, “An Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All,” is part interview with rotavirus vaccine developer, pediatric infectious disease physician and immunologist, Dr Paul Offit, and description of the anti-vaccination movement in the United States.

Wallace’s work is the centerpiece of a masterful collection of smaller articles providing science-based information about vaccination that also refuts common anti-vaccination myths including “How To Win An Argument About Vaccines” and “The Misinformants: Prominent Voices in the Anti-Vaccine Crusade”.

Wired’s follow-up discussion of the issue includes, “A Short History of Vaccine Panic,” for those of us who “have a day job” and not enough time to read Paul Offit’s 2008 book, “Autism’s False Prophets.”

But most importantly, all of scientists with whom I communicate on blogs and Twitter have agreed that the science reported in Wallace’s article is almost entirely valid and supported by solid, published data. Dr. Gorski has, for example, registered his support here at SBM back on October 20th.

But the combination of scientific validity, her engaging writing style, and historical/psychological commentary on pseudoscience comes together to create an example of what science journalism can and should be.

The record-setting pageviews for Wired and froth in the comments from anti-vaccination activists tells us all we need to know about how influential Ms. Wallace’s article is already – and will continue to be.


Those articles were awesome, but the comment sections make me weep for the future. (Daniel, reader comment)