About this episode

The episode discusses the unethical hepatitis studies conducted at Willowbrook State School involving children with intellectual disabilities.

At a crowded state institution on Staten Island, hepatitis wasn't just common. It was almost guaranteed. Instead of treating it, one doctor decided to use it. This week, Andrea walks through the hepatitis studies conducted at Willowbrook State School, where children with intellectual disabilities were deliberately infected in the name of vaccine research. We cover how the study was framed to parents, why it went on for over a decade, and how it became one of the defining scandals in the history of medical ethics. It's a hard listen, and an important one.

People in this episode

Host: Andrea

Topics covered

• medical ethics
• vaccine research
• hepatitis
• children's rights
• institutional abuse

Keywords

• hepatitis
• Willowbrook State School
• medical ethics
• vaccine research
• institutional abuse

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Willowbrook State School

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