THE GREATER GOOD is a character-driven documentary that explores the cultural intersections where parenting meets modern medicine and individual rights collide with politics. The film offers parents, doctors and policy makers a safe space to speak openly, actively listen and to learn from one another. Mixing verité footage, intimate interviews, 1950s-era government-produced movies and up-to-date TV news reporting, THE GREATER GOOD weaves together the stories of families whose lives have been forever changed by vaccination.
THE GREATER GOOD interviews leading authorities on vaccines and vaccine safety. Equal consideration is given to the doctors and scientists who advocate for universal vaccination as to those who persistently ask probing questions about regulation and administration.
DR. PAUL OFFIT is a highly esteemed infectious disease doctor, vaccine patent holder, Merck consultant and the most vocal vaccine advocate in America today. As he walks the halls of the prestigious Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Offit wants only to help children, and he is a staunch believer in the ideal of the greater good. He reflects on the dark days when polio was widespread, and when it comes to vaccine policy, he says candidly that parents are not in the best position to choose what is right for their children.
In his book, Autism’s False Prophets, he condemns many who have linked vaccines to autism—an issue that has co-opted the spotlight from the larger issue of vaccine safety—and expresses optimism for the future of the national vaccine program.
BARBARA LOE FISHER, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center and co-author of the 1985 book DPT: A Shot in the Dark, has advocated for public education and the ethical principle of informed consent regarding mandatory vaccination policies. Her interest in the issue began after her two and a half year old son suffered a severe reaction to his fourth DPT shot in 1980 resulting in permanent brain injury that left him with multiple learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. She worked with Congress on the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 and served on the federal National Vaccine Advisory Committee (1988-1992); Institute of Medicine Vaccine Safety Forum (1995-1998); FDA Vaccines & Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (1999-2002); CDC’s Vaccine Policy Analysis Collaborative (2002-2005) and has testified in Congress and in state legislatures on vaccine safety and exemption issues.
One of the first arguments people make when they are introduced to the idea that vaccines could be causing harm is, “That isn’t so, check the science.”
THE GREATER GOOD Team fully agrees with this premise. This compilation of research contains over 180 papers published in peer reviewed medical and scientific journals that explore and discuss injuries linked to vaccines.
We have compiled this catalogue of science to help parents, lawmakers, medical practitioners and scientists understand several important points about the vaccine issue:
• there is abundant science published in mainstream medical and scientific journals suggesting cause for concern about the safety of vaccines;
• the vaccine debate is not a debate between parents and doctors but rather amongst scientists with opposing views;
• vaccines may be linked to a host of chronic illnesses and conditions such as asthma, allergies, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, autism, unexplained infant death and autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, MS, and others;
• there are connections between the gut, immune, and neurological issues often seen in vaccine injuries.
This compilation does not contain all the science on vaccines but rather the science that suggests cause for concern. Readers should understand that the research cited here does not prove all the conditions mentioned are caused by vaccines. Rather, this research demonstrates that vaccine safety concerns are valid and warrant further investigation to fully evaluate the true long-term impact of vaccination.
To use this resource, simply browse all the different categories to familiarize yourself with the scope and breadth of the possible adverse reactions to vaccines. Once you have decided which topic to explore, simply click on the category and you will find links to the research that pertains to this category. If there is a great deal of research on one topic, you may also find sub-categories to explore. We have included the full text of any paper that is publicly available. If the full text is not free to the public, we have linked to the abstract and you may either purchase the paper or go to your library to gain access.
We hope this information is useful to all as you work your way through your own personal decisions and Think Again!
