A film crew from PBS Frontline was in Ashland this past weekend through Tuesday. They were shooting footage of Ashland for a documentary on the debates about childhood vaccines.
I spent three hours Saturday morning being interviewed by the producer, Kate McMahon. She asked a lot of difficult and very smart questions.
Sunday Baby Leone and I participated in a discussion about vaccines led by James Shames, M.D., who is the medical doctor responsible for Jackson County’s public health.
Monday the team came to the YMCA to get footage.
PBS Frontline filmed my oldest daughter doing gymnastics and my son swimming in the pool.
Tuesday they came over again to get some B-roll of me working in my office.
They are featuring Ashland, Oregon in the documentary because so many thoughtful and educated parents here have chosen to selectively vaccinate. Others choose to vaccinate on a schedule alternative to what is recommended by the CDC. Many choose not to vaccinate at all.
PBS Frontline has also interviewed a slew of other people, including Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carey, J.B. Hanley, Barbara Loe Fisher, Paul Offit, Jay Gordon, Bob Sears, and many more. They must have hundreds of hours of footage by now.
It will be fascinating to see how they put it all together.
Here are some scenes from the first interview:
Edited to add: The PBS Frontline, with the unfortunate title, “The Vaccine War,” aired. You can read the entire transcript of it here and my letter to the producers here.
Published: January 28, 2010
Last update: February 2, 2020
How interesting to be part of that! Will you let us know when it runs?
I will look forward to watching this show.
Can’t wait to see it!