5 May 2016: Comment about Vaxxed movie

I have commented previously on the benefits of the HPV vaccine.  In response, I was invited to see the movie Vaxxed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaxxed).  Here was my response:

Unfortunately, I must decline your generous invitation. I suppose to some, Andrew Wakefield is their hero. But I disagree. Although I have only published ~16 scientific articles (see http://natpernick.com/ and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=pernick+n[author]), committing scientific fraud is perhaps the most despicable act that a scientist can commit (see http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c7452.full). Not only does it hurt the careers of all who rely on the fraudulent conclusions, but it damages the public’s trust in science, and even the public health (see http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/02/us/a-discredited-vaccine-studys-continuing-impact-on-public-health.html?_r=0).