Vaccine Epidemic: The Ethics, Law and Science in Support of Vaccination Choice

Organized somewhat radically around a grim Ursula K. Le Guin short story about a child tortured for the good of a community, this book's three sections provide anecdotal accounts of physical disabilities following vaccination, discrimination faced by physicians who challenge the status quo, and the legal and ethical issues raised by vaccination. Holland, Habakus, and their contributors address the onset of autism in early childhood; Gulf War syndrome, now thought to be connected to the anthrax vaccinations; an adult's muscle deterioration thought to have been caused by a flu vaccination; a teenager permanently invalided after receiving a HPV vaccination; the role of the medical industry in shaping media coverage; constitutional issues about the government's right to mandate health care; and many other related issues. There are 23 contributions in all, and supporting documents and an appendix prepared by the Center for Personal Rights, a non-partisan advocacy group focused on vaccination choice with which Holland and Habakus are associated (though a disclaimer absolves the Center from the views expressed within). Though the editors come to the issue with an obvious agenda, their effort should still prove useful to anyone suspicious of present policies. (Feb.)