Fact and Fiction in Science and Medicine

In the late 1950s, when measles struck about half a million Americans each year, John Enders and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital began clinical trials for a vaccine they had developed. By 1963, the vaccine was licensed for use, marking one of the great achievements in modern public health.

Still, progress required more than scientific discovery. It was not until the late 1960s, when the CDC launched a nationwide campaign to inform families and encourage immunization, that the number of new measles cases dropped below 100,000 annually. Continued refinement of the vaccine — and persistent public engagement — led to the near eradication of measles in the United States by the turn of the century.

Yet, as Perri Klass, MD ’86, reminds us in this issue, the story is not complete. Recent outbreaks underscore the fragility of public trust and the enduring challenge of communicating science in an age of pervasive media and misinformation.

In this issue of Harvard Medicine, Klass and other HMS voices reflect on the power of communication in medicine — to enlighten or to mislead. Oncologist Samyukta Mullangi, MD ’15, describes battling misinformation in the clinic; psychiatrist Roy Perlis, MD ’97, examines shifting public trust in science. Alumni and faculty share how attentive listening deepened understanding of a misunderstood neurological condition, while alumni authors show how stories that inspire curiosity can awaken a child’s sense of scientific wonder.

Together, their voices remind us that the story of medicine is written not only in discoveries but also in dialogue.

George Q. Daley, MD ’91, is the dean of Harvard Medical School.