Ten years ago today, The Lancet retracted Andrew Wakefield’s fraudulent 1998 article claiming the MMR vaccine caused autism. He performed procedures on children unethically, paid kids at a birthday party to give him blood samples, and doctored data.
He still claims he was right.
He still claims he was right.
The study involved 12 children. Without approval from medical ethics boards, Wakefield did lumbar punctures, colonoscopies, and other tests on the children, in violation of rules against unnecessary medical procedures on children.
But some anti-vaxxers still support him.
But some anti-vaxxers still support him.
Wakefield applied for a patent for a new vaccine before he began the fraudulent study. So while he is hailed as an anti-vax hero, he was trying to get a new vaccine approved to profit from it.
He tested the vaccine on one child in the study without any medical approval.
He tested the vaccine on one child in the study without any medical approval.
Wakefield based his research on claims from parents who said autism didn’t emerge in their kids until after the MMR vaccine. But it’s correlation not causation.
For kids whose symptoms show up suddenly, it happens at the age of the MMR vaccines, even if they don’t get it.
For kids whose symptoms show up suddenly, it happens at the age of the MMR vaccines, even if they don’t get it.
I don’t deny that vaccine injuries happen. That’s why we have systems in place to evaluate them.
But the sort of systemic vaccine injury that Wakefield claimed was a fraud, one that led to dropping vaccine rates and rising rates of vaccine-preventable illnesses.
But the sort of systemic vaccine injury that Wakefield claimed was a fraud, one that led to dropping vaccine rates and rising rates of vaccine-preventable illnesses.
(And please note: every medical intervention has risks. Two of my kids are allergic to penicillin. That doesn’t mean no child should get penicillin.)
Wakefield’s fraudulent and unethical “research” has led to rampant ableism and vaccine-preventable deaths.
The ableism says that the risk of a severe and preventable illness is way better than the risk of autism.
That’s nonsense and dehumanizing toward autistic people.
The ableism says that the risk of a severe and preventable illness is way better than the risk of autism.
That’s nonsense and dehumanizing toward autistic people.
Wakefield lied about the sampling of children in the study, having selectively chosen subjects and data that supported his desired outcome. He broke ethics rules again and again.
The other 11 authors of the 1998 study have all acknowledged the fraud and spoken against “results.”
The other 11 authors of the 1998 study have all acknowledged the fraud and spoken against “results.”
Child medical histories in the fraudulent 1998 study were fabricated, discovered through interviews with parents of those kids. Many of the families were part of a group considering a class action lawsuit against makers of the MMR vaccine.
Wakefield created evidence for them.
Wakefield created evidence for them.
All six of my kids are fully vaccinated.
One is autistic.
The first statement has nothing to do with the second.
One is autistic.
The first statement has nothing to do with the second.
The anti-vac movie Vaxxed, released in 2016 was directed by Andrew Wakefield.
Several years earlier, his vaccine-autism article had been retracted, the findings found to be fraudulent, medical ethics revealed to be violated, and Wakefield stripped of his medical license.
Several years earlier, his vaccine-autism article had been retracted, the findings found to be fraudulent, medical ethics revealed to be violated, and Wakefield stripped of his medical license.
As a result of Wakefield’s lies 22 years ago, vaccine rates have dropped, outbreaks of measles have been more common, and autism is seen by some as worse than fatal illnesses.
The Lancet retracted the Wakefield article on February 2, 2010, but the harm was done.
The Lancet retracted the Wakefield article on February 2, 2010, but the harm was done.
Now more research has been done about autism & vaccines — each time disproving Wakefield — than on other safety issues with vaccines or on effective supports & education strategies for autistic people.
All because Andrew Wakefield lied 22 yrs ago, formally confirmed 10 yrs ago.
All because Andrew Wakefield lied 22 yrs ago, formally confirmed 10 yrs ago.
(And now may my mentions rest in peace , because sharing facts about Wakefield is like holding up a target.)
I also believe that Wakefield’s fraud led to a distrust of science that has led to climate change deniers and others who reject scientific data in favor of conspiracy or GOP politicians/Fox News talking points, but that’s just my theory.
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