The Greater Good (film)

The Greater Good is a controversial film about vaccines.^[2] It debuted at the Dallas International Film Festival on April 2, 2011,^[3] and began playing in Los Angeles, California on October 14, 2011.^[4] Well-known vaccine experts who appear in the film include Paul Offit, Melinda Wharton, and Norman Baylor of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. The film was endorsed by controversial doctor Joseph Mercola on his website, as part of "Vaccine Awareness Week", a joint venture with the anti-vaccine organization National Vaccine Information Center.^[5]

Narrative

The film covers three stories which are said to be examples of vaccine harm:

• Gabi Swank of Wichita, Kansas, who received a HPV vaccine and attributes a number of adverse reactions, including a seizure, to this vaccine,
• Jordan King of Portland, Oregon, who was said to have regressed into autism following routine vaccination, and was one of the test cases for the autism omnibus proceedings, a case which was rejected by the Special Master, and
• Victoria Grace Boyd Christener of Tulsa, Oklahoma, who died at the age of 5 months after receiving her childhood vaccines.

According to the film's website, the following mix of 'leading authorities in vaccines and vaccine safety' and those who 'ask probing questions about regulation and administration' are featured in the film.^[6]

• Dr. Paul Offit an American pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and an expert on vaccines, immunology, and virology.^[6]
• Dr. Melinda Wharton of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
• Dr. Norman Baylor, Director of the Office of Vaccines Research and Review in the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.^[6]
• Mark B. Feinberg, Vice President for Medical Affairs and Policy for Merck Vaccines and Infectious Diseases at Merck & Company, Inc.^[6]
• Walt Orenstein, who formerly held a post at the Centers for Disease Control where he led the National Immunization Program.^[6]
• Dr. Stanley Plotkin, A vaccine inventor and an advisor at Sanofi Pasteur.^[6]
• Dr. Lawrence B. Palevsky, Co-founder and President of the Holistic Pediatric Association.^[6]
• Kevin P. Conway, A vaccine-compensation lawyer.^[6]
• Renee Gentry, A lawyer.^[6]
• Diane Harper, an investigator at one of the sites where the original clinical trials of Gardasil was conducted.^[6]
• Kevin Conway and Clifford Shoemaker, lawyers who represented the families in the autism omnibus trial, where the claim that vaccines cause autism was assessed and rejected as unfounded.^[5]
• Barbara Loe Fisher, co-founder and president of the National Vaccine Information Center, an anti-vaccine nonprofit.^[6]
• Bob Sears, a doctor promoting alternative vaccine schedules.^[6]
• Dr. John Green.^[6]
• Dr. Christopher Shaw, a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of British Columbia whose research focuses on neurological disease.^[6]

Scientific validity

The conjecture presented in the movie that vaccines might cause autism is contradicted by scientific consensus.^[7]

As of August 20, 2009, the FDA has not found a connection between Gardasil (an HPV vaccine) and seizures.^[8]

Critical reception

The New York Times criticized the movie, calling it "emotionally manipulative," and "heavily partial."^[9]

Variety's John Anderson reviewed the film, saying that it is "swimming in ethical contradictions." Anderson also stated, with regard to the film's potential bias, "Admittedly, it would have been difficult for the filmmakers to show the other side of those scenes; how do you focus on subjects who haven’t died from smallpox, diphtheria or pertussis because they were immunized as children? But that would require an approach that doesn’t take advantage of the audience’s emotions."^[10]

David Gorski criticized the movie in a blog post,^[11] lamenting that the film "which could have been a provocative debate about current vaccine policy based on asking which vaccines are necessary and why, in the end opts to be nothing more than pure anti-vaccine propaganda of the lowest and most vile sort."^[5]

Gary Goldstein described the film as "provocative" and "an effective eye-opener."^[12]

LA Weekly's Veronika Fredman wrote that "Though there are pro-vaccine interviewees, this film has a clear agenda in encouraging skepticism toward vaccination."^[13]

Awards

The Greater Good won awards from the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival^[14] as well as the cinematic vision award at the Amsterdam Film Festival.^[15]

References