Days After 'Vaxxed' Was Axed From Tribeca Film Festival, Filmmakers Speak Out
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Days after a controversial documentary linking vaccines to autism was booted from New York's Tribeca Film Festival, the filmmakers were in town defending the movie.
The film "Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe" claims the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is hiding data that shows a link between autism and the MMR, or measles vaccine.
"This is about safe and effective vaccines against serious, infectious disease in children," said Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who is the man behind the film.
Wakefield had his medical license taken away for alleged professional misconduct relating to a now-debunked study on autism and vaccines in 1998.
"Since then, there has been multiple studies looking at this very issue and none of them have ever shown a link between autism and vaccinations," said Dr. Mandeep Ghuman of Dignity Health
Northridge Medical Center.
RELATED: Robert De Niro Pulls Controversial Anti-Vaccination Documentary From Tribeca Film Festival
Critics say the film perpetuates "junk science." The Tribeca Film Festival had planned to premiere "Vaxxed" but festival co-founder Robert De Niro, who has a son with autism, reversed his decision.
"It's just such a sad day for censorship in this country and an attack on First Amendment rights," Wakefield said.
On social media, reaction is mixed.
"Good decision by De Niro and Tribeca to pull 'Vaxxed' from its lineup. There are much better ways to have a 'conversation' about autism," said one Twitter user, while another said: "Tribeca wow! Just wow! [You] let them shut [you] down? #censorship !! [You] should be #ashamed."
The medical community worries the film could lead to reduced vaccination rates.
"I can't stress the importance of vaccinations to families out there," said Ghuman. "It's the single biggest thing you could do to prevent preventable illnesses in children."
"Vaxxed" will premiere in the theater in New York Friday and distributors say it will appear in Los Angeles two weeks later.
