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# Contents

- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 The MMR controversy
- 2 Background to the controversy
- 3 Risk perception
- 4 Single vaccines – the middle way?
- 5 MMR and the media
  - 5.1 Overview
  - 5.2 Blair's babe
  - 5.3 The expert patient
  - 5.4 Telling tales
- 6 Everyone's interests
- 7 Concluding remarks
- 8 Reading 1: The Lancet Paper
  - 8.1 Reading 1: The Lancet Paper
  - 8.2 An acrimonious debate
  - 8.3 MMR and the Medical Research Council
  - 8.4 Testing the MMR-autism hypothesis
  - 8.5 MMR safety
  - 8.6 Moving the goalposts
  - 8.7 References for Reading 1
- 9 Reading 2: Communication and miscommunication of risk: understanding UK parents' attitudes to combined MMR vaccination
  - 9.1 Communication and miscommunication of risk
  - 9.2 Background
  - 9.3 Parents' responses to the risks
  - 9.4 Lessons from history
  - 9.5 What went wrong with MMR?
  - 9.6 Changing parents' perceptions
  - 9.7 References for Reading 2
- 10 Reading 3: Towards a better map: Science, the public and the media
  - 10.1 Media coverage of the MMR controversy
  - 10.2 Media coverage of cloning and genetic medical research
  - 10.3 The media and the public understanding of science
  - 10.4 Trust
  - 10.5 Overall levels of scientific understanding
  - 10.6 What did we learn from media coverage between April and October?
  - 10.7 The media and public understanding of climate change
  - 10.8 The media and public understanding of the MMR controversy
  - 10.9 The media and public understanding of cloning and genetic medical research
  - 10.10 Conclusions
- 11 Reading 4: The lessons of MMR
  - 11.1 The lessons of MMR
  - 11.2 Autism research
  - 11.3 Research integrity
  - 11.4 Vaccine safety
  - 11.5 Public engagement
  - 11.6 Publishing controversial new ideas
  - 11.7 References for Reading 4
- Keep on learning
- References
- Acknowledgements

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