The Global Story: The disgraced UK doctor behind autism misinformation

In this episode of The Global Story, Tristan Redman interviews science journalist Adam Rutherford about the history and impact of the discredited link between vaccines and autism, focusing on the role of Andrew Wakefield, a British doctor whose fraudulent research and press conference in 1998 sparked a global health scare. The discussion covers Wakefield's unethical practices, the media's initial uncritical acceptance of his claims, his relationships with celebrities like Elle Macpherson, and his eventual entry into the orbit of Donald Trump and RFK Jr., highlighting the persistence and mainstreaming of anti-vaccine sentiment. Rutherford emphasizes the devastating consequences of the MMR hoax, including decreased vaccine uptake and the rise of vaccine denialism, underscoring the importance of evidence-based medicine and public health interventions.