Autism and vaccines: why telling every side of a scientific story is rarely fair

Scientists and science communicators alike breathed a collective sigh of relief on March 26 when organizers of the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival announced they would pull a controversial documentary, decried for its wholly unscientific claims, from the lineup in the wake of outspoken protest against its screening. 

While this is a happy ending to what was nearly a major mistake for the festival, the events raise important questions about what constitutes a truly fair and balanced discourse on an issue.

But I’ll back up for a minute. The film in question is called Vaxxed: From Cover-up to Catastrophe, and its trailer suggests that it’s a minefield of anti-vaccine rhetoric, promising the story of a government cover-up aimed at hiding a link between vaccines and autism.  Read more…