logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2023
2m 30s

Introducing: Dr Anti-vax

The Observer
About this episode

Introducing Dr Anti-vax: the making of a modern panic


How did the anti-vax movement become so mainstream?


25 years ago, a British doctor Dr Andrew Wakefield sparked a global vaccine panic. Today, Alexi Mostrous, the reporter behind chart-topping hit podcasts Sweet Bobby and Hoaxed investigates how anti-vaxxers have gone from the fringes of public life to the centre of the culture wars that divide America and so many other countries, and the beguiling fall and rise of the man who started it all.


Episode 1 goes live on Tuesday 24th October and all three episodes will be available to Tortoise members on the free Tortoise audio app, and subscribers to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Jun 12
Introducing...The Wargame
Introducing...The WargameA bunker. A scenario. A group of former senior ministers, military chiefs and other experts. Russia knows our weaknesses – but do you?Sky News' security and defence editor Deborah Haynes presents The Wargame. From Sky News and Tortoise, it imagines how a ... Show More
3m 38s
Jun 6
An update on the story | Lucky Boy
When Lucky Boy launched back in March, there was an important detail that didn't make it into the podcast, for legal reasons: the team had discovered that they weren’t the only people who had been investigating the allegations made by Gareth - the Metropolitan Police had been too ... Show More
3m 6s
May 19
Introducing...Oceans: Life Under Water
We are partnering with Greenpeace and Crowd Network, so that we can continue to bring our listeners brilliant investigations on The Slow Newscast. You can join Tortoise as a member to get early and ad-free access to new series and support our investigations at www.tortoisemedia.c ... Show More
5m 39s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2021
Voices of the Unvaccinated
Don, a 38-year-old single father from Pittsburgh, doesn’t want to be lumped into the “crazy anti-vax crowd.”Jeannie, a middle school teacher, has never vaccinated her teenage son and says she won’t start now.Lyndsey, from Florida, regrets having not had her late grandmother vacci ... Show More
24m 36s
Mar 2021
Introducing: Doubt
A few decades ago, nobody really questioned vaccines. They were viewed as a standard part of staying healthy and safe. Today, the number of people questioning vaccines risks prolonging a pandemic that has already killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. How we got to this momen ... Show More
2m 42s
Aug 2021
Anti-vaxxers only
As the pandemic progresses, some opponents of Covid-19 vaccines are taking things one step further.An emerging international grassroots movement is seeking to create online and offline communities away from the vaccinated world.Trending meets the people who are setting up dating ... Show More
18m 4s
Nov 2020
The Vaccine: The first glimmer of hope
The first in an unfolding miniseries - The Vaccine - tracking the progress of those tackling this historic challenge. We'll be making sense of the latest developments as they happen, taking an inside look at the vaccine industry, and learning from past efforts to defend humanity ... Show More
32m 37s
Jul 2023
RFK Jr. and The Rise of the Anti-Vaxx Movement
A political candidate has some questions and we have some extremely obvious answers. Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks!Eric Garcia’s “We’re Not B ... Show More
1h 14m
Aug 2023
RFK Jr. and The Mainstreaming Of The Anti-Vaxx Movement
Join us for a 75 minute answer to a 5 word question: Is there mercury in vaccines? Support us:Hear bonus episodes on PatreonDonate on PayPalGet Maintenance Phase T-shirts, stickers and moreBuy Aubrey's bookListen to Mike's other podcastLinks!Paul Offit’s “Autism's ... Show More
1h 13m
Nov 2020
Antivax, aux racines du mal
Alors que la crise sanitaire du Covid-19 continue de mettre le monde entier à l’arrêt depuis maintenant près d’un an, la course au vaccin n’a jamais été aussi scrutée. Si proche, mais pourtant si loin, celui-ci pose d’ores et déjà des questions, notamment sur son obligation ou pa ... Show More
24m 40s
Aug 2023
Dr. Paul Offit Continues The Fight Against Vaccine Misinformation
Meet one doctor working to counter once-fringe anti-vax conspiracy theorists. M2 Jeff Goddard invited internationally-renowned virology and immunology expert Dr. Paul Offit on the show to talk about his lifelong struggle to fight vaccine misinformation.MD/PhD Students Riley Behan ... Show More
56m 12s