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There is NO link between Vaccinations and Autism

February 10th, 2009

Doctor who Published False Study Data Exposed as a Fraud:
Please read this Times of London investigative report on the falsification of data by Dr. Andrew Wakefield.

MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed Data on Autism

Wakefield’s fraudulent article in The Lancet in 1998 gave rise to a significant decline in vaccination. (From 92% in the mid-90′s to 80% today), and to steadily rising cases of measles, including several measles deaths. Measles cases in Great Britain increased 24-fold in that same time period.

Wakefield claimed a connection between MMR vaccine and autism, based on a study of only 12 patients, and The Times recently discovered from hospital records that for the majority of the patients, their symptoms predated the vaccinations. Wakefield falsely reported in the study that the symptoms occurred after the vaccinations.

It boggles my mind that someone would falsify this kind of information. This mis-information, once published, is extremely hard to eradicate from the public consciousness. My heart goes out to every parent struggling with an autistic child, but the public health implications here are staggering. Most of us are too young to remember the rampant epidemics of every period of human life up to the late 20th century. This kind of irresponsible rumor-starting could lead to our next rampant epidemic. Indeed, in third world countries, children die of measles all the time. Measles can kill, blind and deafen.

Vaccinate your children! It is a serious public health issue!

- Megan

Tags: autism, Dr. Andrew Wakefield, measles, MMR, public health, Times of London
Posted in Advocacy, Medicine | Comments (8)

http://themigrainegirl.blogspot.com Janet Geddis

Wakefield’s falsifying the data is despicable. Have you listened to that This American Life episode “Ruining it for the Rest of Us”? There’s a segment about parents refusing to vaccinate–reminds me of this.

I’m really grossed out by this. I’m relieved to read that Wakefield will be charged.
Pingback: Brian Deer Discusses Andrew Wakefield in the Sunday Times: Many Updates « Holford Watch: Patrick Holford, nutritionism and bad science
http://www.thinkhumanism.com Maria

I think Janet’s comment about Wakefield being ‘charged’ is a bit misleading. It could be taken as meaning he was facing criminal charges. In fact his case is before the General Medical Council – it’s been there for what seems like ages – and the worst that could happen is that he is struck off, which is unlikely to affect his lucrative position in a Texas clinic or as guru to so many people who are convinced their children were damaged by vaccines.

These latest revelations are shocking but not surprising. There is already a mountain of evidence that the man is a liar without a shred of integrity.
http://freemybrain.com Megan

Janet I haven’t heard that segment of This American Life, although I love the show. I hope they pull Wakefield’s license to practice.

Maria I guess having a lucrative position in a clinic and being a guru answers my question as to why someone would falsify information like this. I know that there was already plenty of evidence that there was no truth to his claims. I stepped out of my usual sphere of writing about Migraine and chronic illness when I saw the Times story because I wanted to lend my voice to the debunking of this evil and powerful myth. I had lunch a few weeks ago with two volunteers at our local autism services institute who were discussing the pervasiveness of the vaccination myth against all evidence to the contrary.
http://www.thinkhumanism.com Maria

Megan, his current job or his guru status don’t explain why he falsified data. The data he falsified was for his original study, which was published over ten years ago. It was this study that made him the hero of the anti-vaccine lobby. A few years later, the same investigative reporter who has exposed him now, uncovered the fact that he did the study while receiving funds via a personal injury lawyer representing families who believed their children had been damaged by the MMR link. In other words, he was paid to find a link and that’s why he falsified the data. He didn’t declare this obvious conflict of interest – if he had, the study wouldn’t have been published.

As a result of being exposed in this way, he had to resign his job at one of the most prestigious teaching hospitals in the UK but his friends offered him a job at the Texas clinic where he’s been ever since.
http://freemybrain.com/about Megan

Thanks for the clarification, Maria. What I meant was, I guess the possibility of money and recognition would be a reason to do it. Clearly, that also gave rise to the original conflict.
http://www.thinkhumanism.com Maria

Hi Megan,

Yes, that’s exactly right.

In case you’re interested, I had cause to write a full summary of Wakefield’s misdemeanours on my forum yesterday.

http://www.thinkhumanism.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=2086&p=48699#p48699

Best wishes to you.
http://www.brownseo.com/2009/03/tnomeralc-web-design-toys/ tnomeralc web design toys

Thank you very much for sharing such passion in the struggle for helping children and families cope with autism. (my apologies for the weird name I’m doing it for the benefit of toys designed for therapy in autism if you could please visit my link for further info)

There is NO link between Vaccinations and Autism

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