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Recommended for popular science readers looking to refute the anti-vaccination debate as well as readers interested in children's public health.
Hotez's book stands tall not just because he has explained in great detail the humbling efforts of scientists like himself in developing vaccines and immunisation schedules and their intellectual mythbusting efforts after the Wakefield controversy. The reason why Hotez's book is special is that he has gone the extra mile to scientifically understand and tell the world in direct and simple words repeatedly that his daughter's autism has nothing to do with vaccines.
In the era of 'fake news,' we need to encourage Hotez's kind of scientific engagement. Scientists are not part of our national discourse on many issues, even on issues directly relating to their expertise. That needs to change. Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism is Hotez's shot across the bow, directly aimed at the non-scientific public. Hopefully, it's a shot that will be heard around the world.
Hotez isn't pulling any punches.
Peter Hotez has two words for his fellow scientists: Speak up. [Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism] seeks to clear some people's muddied perspectives on autism and vaccines while also sharing his journey with his daughter Rachel.
A tour de force in the field. I have read many books on vaccines and vaccine policies and this one stands out among all of them. Perhaps it is the way Dr. Hotez seamlessly weaves in his and his family's experiences with Rachel's autism. He covers the diagnosis, the daily trials and tribulations, the frustrations, and the successes. I can't recommend this book enough and hope it has a wide audience of physicians, parents, students, and policy makers.
Dr. Hotez's third published book combines the deeply personal story of his experiences as the father of a child with autism and his equally intimate and detailed knowledge of both vaccine science and what's now known about what does (and does not) cause autism. As a scientist whose research focuses on developing vaccines against an array of devastating tropical diseases that overwhelmingly affect the world's poor, and as one both capable and willing to inform others in terms understandable to the general public, his viewpoint is by equal degrees credible and vitally important. This is a well-reasoned and reasonable book; a well-structured and convincing defense of true science in the age of fake news and rampant pseudoscience.
Without a shadow of doubt, [this book is] one of Dr. Hotez's most important contributions to humanity. Through its pages, Dr. Hotez wages the largest of battles: the battle against ignorance and indolence, choosing to take a step forward against the powerful and well-installed anti-vaccine movement. Dr. Hotez wrote this book as a vaccine against public skepticism by using veracity and facts. He renewed faith in the medical practice of immunization.
Dr. Hotez has opened his heart and mind on the pages of this important book, which reads like a psychological autopsy of a family living and struggling with debilitating illness. It is highly recommended.
The book blends the history of vaccination and the anti-vaccine movement with Hotez's personal history as an autism dad and vaccine scientist. Together, the narratives make a compelling argument for why vaccines are one of the most important tools humans have in our battle against disease—and why the turn against these life-saving shots by some requires our urgent attention.
Drawing on his substantial professional experience with vaccine development and evaluation, as well as his personal experiences with his autistic child and his commitment to applying the principles of 'Science Tikkun' to improve public knowledge about complex medical issues, Dr. Hotez speaks effectively and simultaneously to parents, medical and public health authorities, and proponents of the anti-vaccine movement.
Compelling! Fascinating! Engaging! A must-read! This courageous book, by one of the world’s leading physician-scientists, is about vaccines, autism, and the very personal impact of having an autistic child on the author, his family, and his career.
A truly marvelous book—Peter Hotez deftly intertwines his dual perspectives as a father and a researcher to focus on vaccinations and autism. Despite the general scientific consensus that vaccines do not cause autism, many parents unwisely opt out of vaccinations, raising long-term risks for their children and others. This book comes at a critically important time and addresses the issues in a personal and engaging way.
Dr. Hotez weaves together a compelling, touching, sometimes funny personal story, a fascinating tale of a career devoted to helping the vulnerable and saving lives, and a clear, accessible explanation of how science shows that vaccines don't cause autism. It is a powerful combination on a crucially important topic.
Peter Hotez has written a timely book showing the science community how to overcome decades of avoidance and truly engage the public—in the process minimizing the impact of anti-science groups—to help ensure that science can continue its dedication to finding the solutions to what ails us.
About
Book Details
Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
5.5
x 8.5
Pages
240
ISBN
9781421439808
Illustration Description
8 halftones, 4 line drawings
Table of Contents
Foreword, by Arthur L. Caplan
Preface
1. Family Interrupted
2. Saving Lives with Vaccines
3. A Mostly Noncompliant Little Girl
4. Derailment
5. Like Rome during the Roman Empire
6. The British
Foreword, by Arthur L. Caplan
Preface
1. Family Interrupted
2. Saving Lives with Vaccines
3. A Mostly Noncompliant Little Girl
4. Derailment
5. Like Rome during the Roman Empire
6. The British Invasion
7. Montrose
8. Vaccines Don't Cause Autism: The Scientific Evidence
9. What Does Cause Autism? The Scientific Evidence
10. Struck by Lightning
11. Our Family's Future
12. "Science Tikkun"
Epilogue: Talking Points
References
Index
Featured Contributor
Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD
Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD (HOUSTON, TX), is a professor of pediatrics and molecular virology and microbiology and the founding dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, where he is also the codirector of the Texas Children's Center for Vaccine Development. He is the author of Preventing the Next Pandemic: Vaccine Diplomacy in a Time of Anti-science and Vaccines...Resources
