Infectious Dose

This episode was updated in March 2026 to include analysis of why the vaccine-autism myth felt believable to so many parents, how failures in science communication allowed it to persist long after the evidence was clear, and what it would actually take for the conspiracy to be real.

Do vaccines cause autism?

In this episode, Heather examines one of the most persistent and emotionally charged claims about vaccines. She walks through where the idea came from, how it spread, and what decades of research involving millions of children have found.

She explains why early concerns were taken seriously, how they were investigated, and why the scientific consensus is now clear: vaccines are not linked to autism.

If this question has ever given you pause, this episode provides a thorough, evidence-based answer.

All citations at Infectiousdose.com

This is the original Pathogen Perspectives episode rebranded for Infectious Dose, originally published in 2020. Heather provides an in-depth discussion on the COVID-19 vaccine platforms other than mRNA, that were in clinical trials around the world. These include self-replicating mRNA, DNA, Protein-based, Attenuated virus, Inactivated virus, Repurposed vaccines, and virus vector vaccines. Heather discusses what each platform is and their pros and cons. 

This episode was originally published in 2021 and was updated in March 2026 in two ways: safety (overall plus in pregnancy and kids) and immunity duration sections reflect five years of real-world data, and systems-level analytical segments have been added on why the most common mRNA conspiracy theories are biologically impossible, how the system failed us, and how to do better going forward. Updated text is in green in the corresponding blog post.

This is the original episode published in 2021, rebranded for Infectious Dose. Heather provides an in-depth discussion on the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines authorized for emergency use in the US. She covers:

All citations are in the blog post at infectiousdose.com

Check out the Podcast section of Heather's website at heatherlander.com for transcripts, links, and further reading.

Pathogen Perspectives is a podcast aimed at communicating the science of infectious diseases to the general public. We will cover topics like Ebola, vaccines, SARS2 and COVID-19. This introductory episode answers the questions, who is Heather Lander and why should you listen to this podcast.

*Podcast music is from the song I miss My Sky, by Heather Nova, and is used with permission.