MMR Autism Link Study Attacked by UK Chief Medical Officer

Main Category: Autism
Article Date: 23 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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The study on the MMR autism link caused a 'completely false loss of confidence' and was labelled as 'poor science' by the UK Chief Medical Officer. He was quite critical of the doctor who carried out this study.

Dr. Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, said that Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who carried out the study some years ago, has been discredited since the editor of The Lancet (reputable medical journal) said there had been a 'fatal conflict of interest' with Dr. Wakefield in that study.

Dr. Wakefield, as well as carrying out seemingly 'impartial' research on whether there was a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, was also carrying out a study for the Legal Aid Board, representing parents who thought the vaccines had harmed their children and intended to sue as soon as proof was found.

He was doing both these things at the same time. This is a 'fatal conflict of interest'.

The editor of the Lancet said he regretted publishing the study.

Dr. Donaldson said that it was quite unprecedented for the editor of a major international journal like the Lancet to say that had he known then what he knows now he would never have published the article.

'We have always thought that Dr Wakefield's original study was poor science. Independent experts and independent medical bodies around the world have criticised it,' said Donaldson.

The UK Health Secretary, John Reid, has asked the General Medical Council (UK) to carry out an inquiry into Wakefield's conduct. He said that this was a matter of urgency.

Wakfield stands by his research.

When Wakefield's study was published in 1998, many people panicked. The triple vaccine had been used in the UK since 1988 and in the USA since 1978. Basically, the study said there was a link between the triple MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine and autism in children.

The number of children taking the MMR vaccine dropped dramatically, and sadly, the number of measles outbreaks in the UK increased as a result.

Donaldson said that the MMR had saved millions of children's lives around the world. He said that the seed of doubt sown by Wakefield's study cause a completely false loss of confidence in the MMR vaccine.

Some people are saying that the UK government and medical authorities are engaged in a witch hunt against Wakefield. They stress that the details of Wakefield's study is not being classed as flawed. However, if you read a few paragraphs above you will see that Dr. Donaldson (UK Chief Medical Officer) said the many experts criticised the study.

Today in the UK, 80% of kids take the MMR vaccine. UK health authorities say that this percentage is not high enough to ensure there are no measles epidemics.

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