Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist Pediatrician and Autism Dad

Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism : My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad
ISBN: 9781421426600
Publication Date: 18 November 2018

In 1994, Peter Hotez's nineteenth-month-old daughter, Rachel, was diagnosed with autism. Dr. Hotez, a pediatrician-scientist who develops vaccines for neglected tropical diseases affecting the world's poorest people, became troubled by the decades-long rise of the influential anti-vaccine community and their inescapable narrative around childhood vaccines and autism. The alleged link between the two was first espoused in a fraudulent scientific paper, long since retracted, but the story shows no signs of letting up. As a result, we've seen deadly and disabling outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases around the country, and Texas, where Hotez lives, is at particular risk. ;In***Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism,*** Hotez draws on his experiences as a pediatrician, vaccine scientist, and father of an autistic child. Outlining the arguments on both sides of the debate, he examines the science that refutes the concerns of the anti-vaccine movement, debunks current conspiracy theories alleging a cover-up by the CDC, and critiques the scientific community's failure to effectively communicate the facts about vaccines and autism to the general public, all while sharing his very personal story of raising a now-adult daughter with autism. ;A uniquely authoritative account, Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism persuasively provides evidence for the genetic basis of autism and illustrates how the neurodevelopmental pathways of autism are underway even before a newborn receives vaccines. Dr. Hotez reminds readers of the many victories of vaccines over disease while warning about the growing dangers of the anti-vaccine movement, especially in the United States and Europe. A former US Science Envoy for the Department of State, ...