The documentary 'DPT: Vaccine Roulette' first aired on April 19, 1982, on WRC-TV, the NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C.  It was later featured nationally on NBC's Today show. The film, produced and written by Lea Thompson, highlighted cases of children who reportedly suffered severe neurological reactions after receiving the whole-cell pertussis (DPT) vaccine, sparking widespread public concern and debate over vaccine safety.  The documentary played a pivotal role in galvanizing the modern vaccine safety movement in the United States. In the wake of its broadcast, a group of concerned parents formed the organization 'Dissatisfied Parents Together', which later became the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC).

This group advocated for greater transparency about vaccine safety and ingredients, financial compensation for victims of vaccine injury, and an alternative version of the vaccine.