"Virulent shows us what the modern anti-vaccine movement looks like and pushes back with stories of its own...People need to see it."

Jonathan Jarry, McGill University Office for Science and Society

Virulent: The Vaccine War

Directed by Tjardus Greidanus

Produced by Laura Davis & Tjardus Greidanus

87 & 48 minutes | 5.1 Audio | English SDH captions

Scene Selection

Virulent: The Vaccine War explores the highly contentious, emotionally fraught firestorm surrounding vaccines, charting the collision between scientists and charlatans, truth and lies.

The film Virulent is now accompanied by a thorough discussion guide, suitable for all levels of education and professional development. We have a link from the film's title page at Bullfrog Films.

Now is a critical time to discuss vaccine hesitancy — the future of vaccines, of our children, and of the human population that until now has seen the dramatic reduction of preventable diseases.

Public health experts’ worries that the coronavirus vaccine could create fear of all vaccines appear to have been borne out by the resurgence of previously eradicated childhood diseases including measles and pertussis. Doctors admit that they have not learned how to effectively communicate science to their patients, leaving them susceptible to the influence of expertly manipulated and increasing extreme messaging on social media platforms. The vaccine controversy continues to cut across political, cultural, racial and socio-economic lines, engulfing doctors and patients as well as conspiracy theorists, celebrities, influencers, and opportunists looking to cash in. The film also takes a close look at the ways in which minorities are targeted by anti-vaccine misinformation.

Taking us deep into these opposing worlds are Dr. Paul Offit, one of the world’s preeminent virologists; Dr. Peter Salk, Jonas Salk’s physician son; Arthur Caplan, PhD, founder of NYU’s Division of Bioethics; New York Times columnist Kevin Roose, who writes about how bad science spreads online; NBC News reporter Brandy Zadrozny, who has exposed how anti-vaxxers target grieving parents and has herself become a target; and the voices of many former vaccine skeptics, including those who lost children to vaccine-preventable illnesses.

"Students need to appreciate the stakes of the argument about vaccination, especially the way infectious disease has caused so much human suffering. We need to awaken these memories. The first movie that terrified me in the 1950s showed kids my age in iron lungs. I hope my grandchildren never have to see that. Perhaps Virulent will help."

Jonathan Moreno, Professor of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Professor of History and Sociology of Science, University of Pennsylvania

Virulent is an invitation to think again, exposing the myths and laying bare the facts about vaccine science, its history and what it will take to eradicate the world’s most deadly diseases.

Virulent is now available on DVD with public performance rights for purchase and rental by schools, libraries, and other organizations. Academic streaming can be licensed from Docuseek. Campus and community groups interested in hosting a community screening can book now through Bullfrog Communities.

For a look at the history of the polio vaccine, check out THE LAST CHILD: The Global Race to End Polio that tells the behind-the-scenes story of the global campaign to eradicate polio.

"I am astounded by how this documentary summarizes many years of scientific research on vaccine hesitancy into just one film. Virulent tells a compelling story about how vaccine hesitancy started, how it is disseminated, what drives the advocates of vaccine hesitancy, and how it affects the well-being of our society - all based on scientific research that has been validated through rigorous peer-review processes. It is not only informative and educational but also a fun film to share with our children, parents, and neighbors who still have lingering concerns about the safety of vaccines."

Young Anna Argyris, Associate Professor of Media and Information, Michigan State University

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Bullfrog Films is the oldest and largest publisher of documentary films about the environment in the United States. We define "environment" broadly, and our catalog includes programs on ecology, energy, agriculture, indigenous peoples, women's studies, environmental justice, international relations, sustainable development, anthropology, economics, ethics, and conflict resolution.