The Book Prize Index

The Panic Virus: A True Story of Medicine, Science, and Fear

Seth Mnookin

A searing account of how vaccine opponents have used the media to spread their message of panic, despite no scientific evidence to support them. In this searching exposé, the recent hysteria over childhood vaccinations and their alleged link to autism becomes a cautionary tale of bad science amplified by media sensationalism.

Medicine & Public HealthMedicine & Public Health · high confidenceMedicine & Public Health81 signalsLlm Classifier: Medicine & Public Health -> Medicine & Public HealthOpen Library: Health behavior -> Medicine & Public HealthOpen Library: Psychology -> Medicine & Public HealthDisease, Epidemics & DrugsMental Health & PsychologyMedicine, Health & the Body

Award History

0 wins · 1 total

AwardYearResultCategory / Notes
Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current InterestMajor2011FinalistSecondary source
View all award history (1)
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies

This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.

  1. 01 Central figures

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  2. 02 Central places

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  3. 03 Suggested argument

    Vaccine opponents have used media to spread panic about childhood vaccinations and autism without scientific evidence, and this hysteria functions as a cautionary tale about bad science amplified by media sensationalism.

    Model confidence 70%

  4. 04 Reading orientation

    35 / 100 academic

    Serious trade

    An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.

Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 62%.