How Oprah Helped Spread Anti-Vaccine Pseudoscience That’s one thing she has in common with Donald Trump.
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Winfrey’s role in this controversy dates back to 2007, when she brought Jenny McCarthy, the Playboy model and actress, onto her show to talk about autism. McCarthy’s young son, Evan, had suffered a series of seizures at two-and-a-half years old and was later diagnosed with autism. McCarthy was adamant that the MMR vaccination Evan received as a baby caused his autism. On the show, McCarthy told Oprah she had been instinctually uncomfortable with allowing the doctor to give her son the vaccine. “I said to the doctor, I have a very bad feeling about this shot,” McCarthy recounted. “This is the autism shot, isn’t it?”
On the show, McCarthy’s claims went largely unchallenged. Winfrey praised McCarthy as a “mother warrior” and plugged her book Louder Than Words: A Mother’s Journey in Healing Autism, which inaccurately suggests childhood vaccinations contribute to autism. Winfrey did read a brief statement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which said there was no scientific evidence of a connection and that scientists were continuing to study the causes of autism. “It is important to remember, vaccines protect and save lives. Vaccines protect infants, children and adults from the unnecessary harm and premature death caused by vaccine-preventable diseases,” the CDC statement concluded. But McCarthy had the final word. “My science is named Evan, and he’s at home,” she said. “That’s my science.”
CNN’s Larry King and People magazine also gave attention to McCarthy and her views. She became a semi-regular guest on Winfrey’s show and signed a deal with Winfrey’s Harpo Studios to create her own show, though that show ultimately fell through.McCarthy says she is not anti-vaccine but, rather, an advocate for “safe vaccines.” There’s no evidence that vaccines are currently unsafe.
This wasn’t the first time Winfrey’s audience had been presented with the vaccines-autism theory. A few months before McCarthy’s appearance, Katie Wright, whose son has autism, said on the show, “The vaccine connection has not been refuted at all. In fact, we give 37 vaccines to babies under the age of 18 months. Nobody has shown that that’s safe, a wise idea, the multiple vaccines at once.”
“She wanted to say it, and I wanted you to get it out there,” Winfrey replied, as the audience clapped. “Because you are a mother dealing with your child every day.”
The following year, Christiane Northrup, a physician and one of Winfrey’s regular experts, answered a fan’s question about the human papillomavirus vaccine, which protects against a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer. Northrup expressed apprehension about the shot, saying she is “very concerned” about vaccinating young girls and would rather focus on a “getting everybody on a dietary program that would enhance their immunity,” according to a write-up on Winfrey’s website.
Winfrey’s own views on vaccinations aren’t clear. The Oprah Winfrey Network press office didn’t respond to requests for comment. An article published last year on her website did encourage readers to get booster shots recommended by the CDC, including the MMR vaccine. “You may think you’ve had all the immunizations you’ll ever require,” the article said, “but the guidelines are constantly being fine-tuned—for the good of us all.”
Bolding Mine
Katie Wright is the daughter of Bob Wright and the late Suzanne Wright founders of Autism Speaks. Katie’s views on vaccines caused a family rift 11 years ago.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
11 Jan 2018, 1:23 am
