A medical journal formally retracted a 12-year-old study Tuesday that first sparked fears of a link between autism and vaccines.
The move by The Lancet comes after a British medical panel determined last week that the study’s lead author, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, acted “dishonestly and irresponsibly” in conducting his research.
“It has become clear that several elements of the 1998 paper by Wakefield et al. are incorrect, contrary to the findings of an earlier investigation,” editors of The Lancet wrote in a statement published online Tuesday. “Therefore we fully retract this paper from the published record.”
The study in question did not specifically look at the relationship between autism and vaccines. Nonetheless, Wakefield and his colleagues reported that eight of the 12 children who they researched experienced signs of autism within days of receiving the measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccine.
The study and comments from Wakefield led many parents to forgo childhood vaccination out of concerns about autism even as further scientific research disputed any link between vaccines and the developmental disorder.
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Good! Think how many children and families he has harmed by his irresponsible actions. They should yank his license as well.
Marc,
You are horrendously incorrect in your response. However, this story is written in such a way as to bring out responses from other uninformed individuals. Dr. Wakefield’s research has never been shown to be incorrect, In fact, last week, another gastro-enterolgist (Dr. Krigsman) released a study showing identical conclusions to Those found in the research by Dr.s Andrew Wakefield, John walker-Smith and Simon Murch. Furthermore, Dr. Wakefield’s research wasn’t the reason for the outcome of this hearing, but the way that he gathered blood samples at a children’s party to provide the control group for the research.
Dr. Wakefield’s original study never stated that the MMR vaccine caused autism. The following is taken straight from his original study:
“We have identified a chronic enterocolitis in children that may be related to neuropsychiatric dysfunction. In most cases, onset of symptoms was after measles, mumps, and rubella immunisation. Further investigations are needed to examine this syndrome and its possible relation to this vaccine.”
That is clear language. It is sincerely ridiculous to have a doctor’s career and license at stake for merely suggesting that there might be a problem with the MMR vaccine and autism. It’s an extremely high price to pay for suggesting a hypothesis. Dr. Wakefield never said to skip the vaccines for measles, mumps and rubella. He suggested breaking up the shot into three different injections if parents had safety concerns.
He should be congratulated for being strong enough to risk his career and livelihood to attempt to help children.
There have also been several other studies in several peer-reviewed medical journals replicating the exact results of Dr. Wakefield. they include:
Gonzalez, L. et al., “Endoscopic and Histological Characteristics of the Digestive Mucosa in Autistic Children with gastro-Intestinal Symptoms“. Arch Venez Pueric Pediatr, 2005;69:19-25.
Balzola, F., et al., “Panenteric IBD-like disease in a patient with regressive autism shown for the first time by wireless capsule enteroscopy: Another piece in the jig-saw of the gut-brain syndrome?” American Journal of Gastroenterology, 2005. 100(4): p. 979- 981.
S. Walker, K. Hepner, J. Segal, A. Krigsman “Persistent Ileal Measles Virus in a Large Cohort of Regressive Autistic Children with Ileocolitis and Lymphonodular Hyperplasia: Revisitation of an Earlier Study” [IMFAR May 2007]
Madsen KM et al. A Population-Based Study of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccination
and Autism (2002). N Engl J Med 347 (19): 1477–82
The most frightening aspect of these GMC (General Medical Council)findings is the silencing effect it could cause to scientist and researchers. These verdicts now prove that researchers who stumble upon science that is controversial have to worry about losing their licenses and careers.
Unfortunately, it seems that it is far easier for the GMC to destroy Dr. Wakefield’s career than to thoroughly research the uncomfortable hypothesis he brought to light. Could it be possible that the GMC is shooting the messenger instead of attempting to understand and solve the problem? As the parent of a child who suffered a vaccine reaction this point makes me really upset. My son and all the children like him to deserve objective, unbiased science looking into Dr. Wakefield’s hypothesis.