[yasr_overall_rating]
A documentary alleging that the CDC, the government agency charged with protecting the health of American citizens, destroyed data on their 2004 study that showed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
My fear of pharmaceutical companies runs deep ever since I had to interview a pharmaceutical sales representative as part of a high school assignment. Their power stretches far, filling pockets with dollar bills and our televisions with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Depression commercials, pushing pills promising answers, even though the final answer may be death. My point is I am naturally inclined to believe that certain medications or vaccines may do more irreparable damage than good. I was expecting to be fully convinced by Andrew Wakefield’s documentary “Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe,” that my inclinations of suspicion are not unfounded, but surprisingly that is not the case. While I still may be wary of Big Pharma, and still think there could be a link between vaccines (MMR in particular) and autism, Wakefield’s shoddy documentary did not help me come to those conclusions/support my inclinations.
While “Vaxxed,” is peddled as an investigative documentary claiming a cover-up by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in regards to there actually being a link between the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine and autism. The documentary instead comes off not only as an anti-vaccine propaganda film but also as a vindication of Andrew Wakefield, the man accused of fraudulent research in regards to links between the MMR vaccine, autism, and gastrointestinal disorders; a man who is no longer allowed to practice medicine in the UK, and who also happens to be the director of this documentary. Word of advice: If you are going to attempt to vindicate yourself (because that’s what this really is), it may be best to not create something that comes off as a poorly done cut and paste conspiracy theory project.
“Vaxxed,” loses sight of its purported purpose which is to expose an alleged cover-up by the CDC early on in the film. Secretly recorded conversations between anti-vaccine activist Brian Hooker and CDC senior scientist William Thompson reveal research on the MMR vaccine and autism was purposely destroyed, as research showed there were indeed links. This of course poses a problem, a problem of trust and power/money. If word gets out that there is a link between the vaccine and autism, especially after a huge amounts of money went into vaccine developments and campaigns urging people to vaccinate their children, then the trust between the American people (and beyond) would dissolve between the CDC and other powers that be. There would people rallying with pitchforks and chaos of unfathomable proportions, and the CDC just could not have that. There must always be a fine line between power and trust.
The revelations of William Thompson are scandalous. And they would hold more power if they weren’t presented as parsed bits of conversation slapped together. These selections of information are weaved in throughout the film along with stories of sorrow, and statistics/numbers that mean almost nothing when not properly pulled into context. While the stories of parents and their children yank, roughly, at your heartstrings, it feels more like manipulation tactics; prodding at your emotions so intensely that you forget that the rest of the film is a mess. I recommend people do see Wakefield’s “Vaxxed.” Even though I find this documentary to be on shaky grounds, I believe there is a kernel of truth rolling around in there somewhere, it just may take a while to peel through the fodder.
Available on DVD & SVOD September 13th
