The anti-vaccine community has been in a tizzy lately over a supposed “CDC whistleblower”, Dr. William W.
Thompson, who, according to them, revealed fraud at the United States Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). To bolster their claim, they point to a new study from one of their own, Brian S. Hooker,
that purports to show evidence of an increased risk of autism among African American boys who receive
their first MMR vaccine late. However, the claims appear to be hollow and unfounded, and so they have
chosen to rely on emotional arguments that may sound convincing to those who are not familiar with the
issues and people involved. In a truly egregious fashion, they have erroneously and cynically compared this
whole thing to the Tuskegee syphilis study, and equated the CDC with Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Pol Pot,
combined.
With that in mind, here is a brief FAQ for parents, news media and others to help them understand what
the claims are and what the evidence actually says. The questions below have been raised or implied by
anti-vaccine activists. Hopefully, this will prevent inaccurate reporting and help parents feel reassured
about the MMR vaccine.