Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel's Autism

My Journey as a Vaccine Scientist, Pediatrician, and Autism Dad

By: Peter J. Hotez MD PhD, Arthur L. Caplan - Foreword

Narrated by: P.J. Ochlan

In 1994, Peter Hotez's 19-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.

©2018 Johns Hopkins University Press (P)2018 Tantor

Good entry level discussion

I had different expectations for this book and found it to be geared towards the lay person. Highly recommend for those without a background in science or medicine. If you have a background in science or medicine, you might find that the discussion is too superficial.

Much needed ammo against anti-Vaxxers

Dr Hotez’s very personal story about being the parent of a daughter with Autism, as well as his journey as a physician and scientist and his struggles against the anti vaccination movement. He uses multiple scientific arguments that cut through the hysteria and ignorance of the anti vaccination movement, which stands to put many lives at risk.

Awesome, well thought out and expressed to be understood by a lay person

Very much enjoyed this book, the background of his experience of a parent of a child with autism, which mirrors a lot of my experience. The frustrations, hopes, and suspicion that some is different about my child from a very young age. Presenting the the facts of various studies matter of factly is hopefully going to help settle this argument of the cause of autism.

Great and Tragic

This book is filled with really good information and it's sad that many predators are pawning out pseudo science to scare parents into reconsidering decades of scientific research to combat autism when instead resources should be placed on supporting families dealing with autism.

A valuable and informative book

I wish the author spent a little less time assuring the reader of his expertise in micro-biology and viruses, but considering the formidable anti-vaccine entities he contends with, it is understandable. I was hoping the majority of the book was more of an in-depth dive into how ASD was detectable while children are still in the womb, but it only spent a short time on that subject. That study in and of itself is a kind of silver bullet to the whole "vaccines cause autism" argument and the author sort of missed his chance to capitalize on that by not making that study the foundation of the book. This is a fight for the hearts and minds of parents, and he tied one hand behind his back.