Dr. Wakefield who triggered MMR panic accused of unethical conduct by UK MP

Main Category: Autism
Article Date: 18 Mar 2004 - 0:00 PST

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The scientist who started the MMR autism scare a few years ago has been accused of unethical conduct by a British Member of Parliament (MP).

According to Dr. Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat MP, Wakefield's team had not received the correct ethical approval to carry out invasive spinal taps on the autistic children in his care.

According to Dr. Harris, the plan of the study had been changed after it was authorised by the Royal Free Hospital's (UK) ethics panel. Dr. Wakefield did not clear the changes with the ethics committee. Wakefield also failed to declare a conflict of interest.

Dr. Harris said that the autistic children were subjected to unnecessary lumbar punctures. In a lumber puncture spinal fluid is removed with a needle, the child is sedated.

Dr. Harris said all this during a debate in parliament on March 15th. He said the Royal Free Hospital's Ethics Committee could also be guilty of failure and incompetence. It did not seem to have consulted an independent outside expert before approving the research. According to The Lancet, the researchers were cleared of failing to obtain proper ethical approval.

The editor of the Lancet said he would not have published the research in 1998 if he had known then about the conflict of interest.

Dr. Harris called for an independent inquiry, he said the ethics allegations were more serious than the conflict of interest.

Dr. Harris said 'I do not make these allegations lightly ... but there is very clear evidence pointing towards unethical conduct by the researchers - or by one or some of them - and equally strong evidence of failure and incompetence by the research ethics committee.'

As Wakefield's receipt of payment had not been declared to the ethics committee, apparently, this could invalidate approval for the original study protocol.

According to the documents, the original protocol suggested that the team would investigate children with DD (a very late-onset form of autism). Lumber punctures would be justified for children with DD. However, only one of the children had possible DD diagnosis.

All twelve children had a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) even though the other 11 were diagnosed with autism, an autistic spectrum disorder or encephalitis from vaccine or viral damage.

Dr. Harris said that autism had not been mention in the scientific background. He suspects that the procedure would not have been permitted had it been mentioned.