Paul Offit and Amanda Peet Discuss Vaccines and Autism on NPR

On yesterday’s Morning Edition, film actress Amanda Peet, and Dr. Paul Offit, author of Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure, discussed the importance of vaccinating children to protect them from measles and other diseases.

Some parents fear that vaccination might cause autism, but as Paul Offit argues this notion has been disproved by credible science. Offit also contends that by not vaccinating children, preventable diseases have had a resurgence in the United States and moreover the focus on vaccination has impeded further research into understanding autism.

Offit hopes that Amanda Peet’s celebrity will help get out the word about the importance of vaccination. In recent years, celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy have led an assault on vaccines which has concerned mothers like Amanda Peet. However, Peet’s sister, who is a doctor, put her in touch with Paul Offit, who convinced her of the safety and importance of vaccination. Ultimately, Peet pleads with parents not to listen to celebrities like herself but to scientists and doctors, who overwhelmingly stress the safety and necessity of vaccinating your child.