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CMPI Responds to Katie Couric and CBS Evening News' Coverage of Vaccines and Autism Myth
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NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 11/11/08 -- Center for Medicine in the Public Interest(CMPI) has released a statement by its Vice President and Director ofPrograms Dr. Robert Goldberg regarding the recent coverage by CBS EveningNews linking vaccines and autism:
"In recent years Katie Couric and the CBS Evening News have gone aftervaccine makers and the make-believe link between vaccines and autism,taking up the cause of trial attorneys on the one hand and glossing overthe scientific data demonstrating no relationship on the other."
Goldberg points out CBS Evening News has aired six stories over the pasttwo-and-a-half years that included extremist views of vaccines and autism.Specifically, he highlights a CBS Evening News segment that aired on July15, 2005 that included commentary by environmental extremist Robert F.Kennedy, Jr.; another segment that aired on June 11, 2007 that reported onhardships of the parents of an autistic child and their fight to win moneyfrom a federal fund for "vaccine damages"; and the most recent segment thataired in June 2008 that attempted to discredit scientists and organizationswho support immunization because they receive support from vaccinecompanies.
Additionally, Goldberg notes CBS Evening News gave little fanfare to apress release distributed by the California Department of Public Healththat summarized the findings of a recent report citing the lack of datasupporting thimerosal as a cause of autism.
Goldberg contends the arrival of reporter Heather Won Tesoriero to CBSEvening News is another signal the program will continue to airunsubstantiated stories that needlessly scare people about their health.Goldberg notes Heather Won Tesoriero has a "history of covering attacksthat were started by big class-action law firms" and in her past work as aWall Street Journal health reporter she covered health claims that wereallegedly the result of environmental conditions and other purported healthfraud topics.
Goldberg concludes, "No one should be surprised if she brings the samesources, bias and unbalanced reporting to CBS."
About CMPI:
Center for Medicine in the Public Interest is a research-based organizationthat analyzes the value of new medicines and genomic and molecular-basedmedical innovation from the consumer's perspective. On the Web athttp://www.cmpi.org andhttp://www.drugwonks.com.
More on Vaccines and Autism:
CDC Vaccines and Autism: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/vaccines.htm
AAP FAQ: Immunizing Your Child:http://www.cispimmunize.org/fam/facts/SafetyFAQ.pdf
Contact:Robert Goldberg, PhDVice President The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest212-417-9169rgoldberg@cmpi.org
Goldberg points out CBS Evening News has aired six stories over the pasttwo-and-a-half years that included extremist views of vaccines and autism.Specifically, he highlights a CBS Evening News segment that aired on July15, 2005 that included commentary by environmental extremist Robert F.Kennedy, Jr.; another segment that aired on June 11, 2007 that reported onhardships of the parents of an autistic child and their fight to win moneyfrom a federal fund for "vaccine damages"; and the most recent segment thataired in June 2008 that attempted to discredit scientists and organizationswho support immunization because they receive support from vaccinecompanies.
Additionally, Goldberg notes CBS Evening News gave little fanfare to apress release distributed by the California Department of Public Healththat summarized the findings of a recent report citing the lack of datasupporting thimerosal as a cause of autism.
Goldberg contends the arrival of reporter Heather Won Tesoriero to CBSEvening News is another signal the program will continue to airunsubstantiated stories that needlessly scare people about their health.Goldberg notes Heather Won Tesoriero has a "history of covering attacksthat were started by big class-action law firms" and in her past work as aWall Street Journal health reporter she covered health claims that wereallegedly the result of environmental conditions and other purported healthfraud topics.
Goldberg concludes, "No one should be surprised if she brings the samesources, bias and unbalanced reporting to CBS."
About CMPI:
Center for Medicine in the Public Interest is a research-based organizationthat analyzes the value of new medicines and genomic and molecular-basedmedical innovation from the consumer's perspective. On the Web athttp://www.cmpi.org andhttp://www.drugwonks.com.
More on Vaccines and Autism:
CDC Vaccines and Autism: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/vaccines.htm
AAP FAQ: Immunizing Your Child:http://www.cispimmunize.org/fam/facts/SafetyFAQ.pdf
Contact:Robert Goldberg, PhDVice President The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest212-417-9169rgoldberg@cmpi.org
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