Wakefield and the vaccine wars suck up the air. So much attention on one man. On hammering away at each other over whether Wakefield's the saint or Deer. Or who's the greatest sinner. There can be little doubt regarding Wakefield; the GMC ruling and revocation of his medical license last year clearly indicates that Wakefield acted dishonestly and unethically. I know, if you're a Waker's fan you believe it's all a governmental/industrial plot to silence the maverick doctor willing to stand up to vaccine companies, except you keep backtracking and insisting now it wasn't about autism and it wasn't even about vaccines; it was about gastro issues. And folks insisting it wasn't a fabrication and we should all go Andy's support site.

One of the key characteristics coming out of the anti-vaccine movement appears to be an inability to get the facts straight about much of anything relating to vaccines and vaccine-preventable illnesses. Another key characteristic is the downplaying of the seriousness of these illnesses, along with a fondness for bashing Dr. Paul Offit, one of the most eloquent voices speaking for the safety and importance of vaccines in maintaining public health.