Jenny McCarthy vs Autism and its effects on the public

Arthur Allen, keynote speaker at this year's Vaccines Development Forum, had a recent article published on Slate addressing celebrity influence on the health of our nation when it comes to vaccines. Even though there has been an abundance of information that proves that there is no connection between the vaccine and the disease, including a federal court statement believing the same thing, Jenny McCarthy continues to spread the information to the public about MMR vaccines resulting in Autism. McCarthy recently signed a business deal with Oprah pertaining to the topic, which will start with a blog, but will probably continue on to talk shows and beyond.

Allen points out that behavior like this is harmful to the American public. The American public has come to accept receiving information from celebrities, even though they may not be experts on the subject. Through this misinformation, the American public could see dangerous diseases come back into play that are a direct result of parents not having their children vaccinated. What should be done about situations like this? How do we assure that the public is receiving the right information from the right sources about vaccines?

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