The Vaccine War

Ashland parents discuss public health issues with a doctor, exposing one of the central issues of the vaccine debate: A parents' right to make choices versus the needs of the community.

Ashland parents discuss public health issues with a doctor, exposing one of the central issues of the vaccine debate: A parents' right to make choices versus the needs of the community.

In some American communities like this one, parents are hesitating to vaccinate their children, despite their doctor's advice.

Determine whether vaccines are a great achievement or a scourge on health. 3/20/2012

Amid a new outbreak of measles, health officials are again urging parents to immunize their children and reassuring them that there is no link between vaccines and disorders like autism. But the war over vaccines rages on, pitting the scientific establishment against a populist coalition of parents, celebrities, and activists.

FRONTLINE investigates the science and the politics of vaccine safety. Amid a new outbreak of measles, health officials are once again urging parents to immunize their children and reassuring them that there is no link between vaccines and disorders like autism. But the war over vaccines rages on. An updated version of FRONTLINE's 2010 film "The Vaccine War" airs Mar. 24 on PBS and online.