The MMR vaccine: public health, private fears
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Discover the truth about the MMR vaccine controversy and understand the scientific factors behind it. Assess arguments for and against its use, and explore the impact of risk, trust, communication, and media representation on public perception. Uncover the strong consensus among medical professionals on the vaccine’s safety.
A decade ago, the possibility of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism hit the media. Fear of the vaccine spread rapidly and, despite an almost unanimous consensus that the claim was unfounded, still persists today. This free course, The MMR vaccine: public health, private fears, will examine why this controversy took on such a life of its own and why parents still agonise about the vaccine.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
Understand more of the scientific factors that relate to the dispute about the safety of the MMR vaccine in the UK
Assess the strength of arguments for and against the use of the MMR vaccine
Show how issues of risk, trust, communication and media representation of science and medicine have a strong bearing on public perception of the MMR vaccine
Explain why there is such a strong consensus amongst the medical profession testifying to the safety of the MMR vaccine.
