Does the MMR vaccine cause autism? How uncritical acceptance of information can have disastrous consequences.

One of the most damaging medical controversies in several decades has been sparked by the publication of a fraudulent paper in 1998 claiming that a link between autism and the administration of the MMR vaccine had been found. The crisis is proving to be very difficult to remedy, as vaccination rates plummeted and have still not fully recovered. Fueled by media attention and ill-informed celebrity spokespeople, this poorly conducted study has received dangerous amounts of attention and support. Even with ever-increasing scientific evidence against the claim, the lack of skepticism and critical analysis of research has resulted in children being put in danger of preventable diseases by leaving them unvaccinated