St. Pete Times story reviews vaccine-autism debate

The November 23 edition of the St. Petersburg Times has a very good feature reviewing the enduring controversy over vaccine safety and alleged links to autism. Written by Lisa Greene, the story, "Debate rages over need for vaccines," interviews prominent voices on both sides of the issue, including proponents of current vaccine policy such as Paul Offit and Amy Pisani, and critics including J.B. Handley and Vicky Debold.

Among other topics addressed in the story is the challenges faced by Autism Speaks in representing its diverse constituencies of autism advocates -- many of whom reject links between autism and vaccines. The piece also explores how media coverage by journalists may contribute to ongoing public confusion over the safety of vaccines.

Greene writes, "This is no longer principally a debate about science. The real question is whether Americans still believe in science — or at least, in the nation's scientists."

Also accompanying the story is a collection of graphs and figures about the history of vaccination efforts and autism trends.

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Speaking of Paul Offit, his new book, "Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure," has attracted considerable attention this fall, including a profile on NBC's "Today" and a story in Newsweek, among many others. The overwhelmingly-favorable coverage of Offit, his book, and his arguments has triggered online rebuttals from leading critics of U.S. vaccine policy, including Barbara Loe Fisher and J.B. Handley, who refers to Offit as a 'lying jerk.'