Doctors Want TV Episode Cancelled

CHICAGO (AP) - A nationwide pediatricians' group wants ABC to
cancel the first episode of a new television series, saying it
perpetuates a myth that vaccines can cause autism.
The episode of the legal drama "Eli Stone" features a
courtroom battle over a claim that a flu vaccine made a child
autistic. When it's revealed that an executive at the fictional
vaccine maker didn't let his own child get the shot, the jury sides
with the family.
The American Academy of Pediatrics claims the show is "the
height of reckless irresponsibility on the part of ABC." It says
the network will share the responsibility if parents who watch the
show fail to get their children immunized because of it -- and
deaths occur as a result.
The show's co-creators say they're not anti-vaccine and they
would be "deeply upset" if parents chose not to immunize their
children based on a fictional program.
"Eli Stone" premieres on Thursday.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)