Follow the Science by Sharyl Attkisson Summary

Follow the Science exposes systemic corruption in the pharmaceutical industry, documenting how Big Pharma, government agencies, and media outlets collude to prioritize profits over public safety. The book reveals financial ties between vaccine advocates and manufacturers, undisclosed vaccine injuries, and efforts to suppress dissenting voices. Attkisson supports her claims with exclusive evidence, including leaked documents and insider testimonies.

This book is essential for readers interested in public health controversies, investigative journalism, or vaccine policy debates. It appeals to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and citizens concerned about corporate influence on medical research. Attkisson’s findings are particularly relevant for those skeptical of mainstream narratives about drug safety.

Yes—the book combines rigorous investigative reporting with shocking case studies, such as Pfizer’s first documented severe Covid vaccine injury in a child. Attkisson’s Emmy-winning credibility and reliance on primary sources make it a compelling critique of institutional conflicts of interest.

Attkisson cites financial ties between vaccine promoters and manufacturers, secret government acknowledgments of vaccine-linked autism cases, and collusion between pharmaceutical companies and media outlets to suppress adverse event reports. She also details how medical schools receive industry-funded curricula that downplay risks.

The book reveals that pharmaceutical companies fund biased training materials for doctors, emphasizing drug benefits while minimizing risks. Attkisson argues this creates systemic bias in healthcare, with practitioners unknowingly disseminating industry-friendly narratives to patients.

Yes—it highlights the case of a child who suffered severe neurological damage during Pfizer’s Covid vaccine trial, alleging the incident was initially obscured. Attkisson also examines financial incentives behind rapid vaccine approvals and censorship of safety concerns.

Attkisson documents undisclosed partnerships between news outlets and pharmaceutical advertisers, including suppressed investigations into vaccine injuries and pre-scripted talking points distributed to journalists. These practices allegedly skewed coverage toward uncritical promotion of industry claims.

The book accuses regulatory agencies of prioritizing corporate interests over public safety, citing leaked conversations where officials privately admitted vaccine risks while publicly denying them. Attkisson argues this revolving-door dynamic enables systemic failures in safety monitoring.

1. Profit-driven motives often override patient safety in healthcare
2. Mainstream narratives about drugs/vaccines frequently exclude dissenting data
3. Whistleblowers and injured patients face aggressive retaliation
4. Media and government institutions are deeply entangled with industry interests

Some critics argue Attkisson selectively presents evidence to support anti-establishment views, potentially oversimplifying complex medical issues. Others note the book focuses heavily on anecdotal cases over large-scale epidemiological data.

The book remains timely amid ongoing debates about mRNA vaccine safety, drug pricing reforms, and transparency in clinical trials. Its themes resonate with growing public distrust in institutional health guidance.

Like Slanted and The Smear, this book critiques institutional power structures, but it focuses specifically on healthcare rather than media or politics. It shares Attkisson’s signature investigative approach, blending documentary evidence with narrative storytelling.

The book encourages critical evaluation of health information, advocacy for transparency in medical research, and scrutiny of financial ties between prescribers and pharmaceutical companies. It also provides frameworks for identifying biased reporting on public health issues.