MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed data on autism

[Ravenfire]

THE doctor who sparked the scare over the safety of the MMR vaccine for children changed and misreported results in his research, creating the appearance of a possible link with autism, a Sunday Times investigation has found.

Confidential medical documents and interviews with witnesses have established that Andrew Wakefield manipulated patients’ data, which triggered fears that the MMR triple vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella was linked to the condition.

The research was published in February 1998 in an article in The Lancet medical journal. It claimed that the families of eight out of 12 children attending a routine clinic at the hospital had blamed MMR for their autism, and said that problems came on within days of the jab. The team also claimed to have discovered a new inflammatory bowel disease underlying the children’s conditions.

However, our investigation, confirmed by evidence presented to the General Medical Council (GMC), reveals that: In most of the 12 cases, the children’s ailments as described in The Lancet were different from their hospital and GP records. Although the research paper claimed that problems came on within days of the jab, in only one case did medical records suggest this was true, and in many of the cases medical concerns had been raised before the children were vaccinated. Hospital pathologists, looking for inflammatory bowel disease, reported in the majority of cases that the gut was normal. This was then reviewed and the Lancet paper showed them as abnormal.

Despite involving just a dozen children, the 1998 paper’s impact was extraordinary. After its publication, rates of inoculation fell from 92% to below 80%. Populations acquire “herd immunity” from measles when more than 95% of people have been vaccinated

Last week official figures showed that 1,348 confirmed cases of measles in England and Wales were reported last year, compared with 56 in 1998. Two children have died of the disease.

With two professors, John Walker-Smith and Simon Murch, Wakefield is defending himself against allegations of serious professional misconduct brought by the GMC. The charges relate to ethical aspects of the project, not its findings. All three men deny any misconduct.

Through his lawyers, Wakefield this weekend denied the issues raised by our investigation, but declined to comment further.


Taken from the Times Online (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article5683671.ece)

[victoria81]

Interesting to hear. After all that kerfuffle! Why do the change facts though. Also, okay, I didn't have kids at the time the original report came out, but I never realised that the study has been done based on only 12 children. Samples so small are seldom very representative anyway.

[ruthie]

All I know is that my neices boy who was perfectly normal until he had his MMR. The reason there is an increase in Measles is because parents are frighten to stop the increase let children have single vaccines, simple. I think it is too much for little ones bodies to cope with I mean we don't usually have three illnesses together do we!

[MrTempleDene]

Trouble with the whole MMR scare was that even though it was widely known at the time the study was of only 12 children, and that it was very unsound, the press had a field day whipping up controversy wherever they could.

This now looks like they are trying to blame their scaremongering on Wakefield himself, because they can't admit they were wrong.

Autism first becomes apparent at about the same time as the MMR jab is administered, co-incidence, well yes I'm afraid it is.

I did some very basic research when the papers started having a field day with this and quickly came to realise they were simply scaremongering.

[xmisscx]

I always thought it was rubbish anyway...and Id rather have a child with additional needs than to be a mother who lost her child to measles.

[stokey]

I always thought it was rubbish anyway...and Id rather have a child with additional needs than to be a mother who lost her child to measles.

well said x

[victoria81]

If the Medical Council says that the figures were doctored then there must have some evidence to that effect or they could be done for defamation.

I agree that 12 cases in a ridiculously small sample to base a study on.

[Emsickle]

I always thought it was rubbish anyway...and Id rather have a child with additional needs than to be a mother who lost her child to measles.

Totally.

And aside from that - when a baby is 8 weeks old, it has 3 (or is it 4) inoculations at the same time, then again at 12 wks then at 16 - so where is the difference between that and have a triple vaccine at 15 months??

Nathan hasn't been able to have his yet, due to his having different illnesses and temps since (been turned away twice lol) but as soon as he can, he, just like my other three, will be having it.

[Bear]

My eldest two haven't had their MMR and Evie won't be having it either.

Dr Wakefield's report wasn't published until 1998 however there were concerns raised regarding the safety of the MMR jab long before that as my son was due his in 1997 and didn't have it because of that.

I don't wish for any of my children to die from measles (obviously) however, I would rather that they took the risk of catching measles naturally (as I caught it myself plus many of my classmates, none of which subsequently died) than end up Autistic as a result of me having given them the MMR.

Just my opinion that's all :o)

[MrTempleDene]

If the Medical Council says that the figures were doctored then there must have some evidence to that effect or they could be done for defamation.

I agree that 12 cases in a ridiculously small sample to base a study on.

I think the people needing suing for defamation are the press that blew the scare story out of all proportion, it'll never happen though.

Remember the medical council and the gov were saying it was safe, and that the research was flawed, but it was the tabloids who refused to drop the issue.

[Rainbowwitch]

My son is autistic and I dont blame the MMR if I did I would not have let my second son have the vaccination.

Autism is more noticeable at the same time as the MMR is ministered to children, My son had a difficult birth and was an emergency c section due to heart beat rate and respiratory levels not coming up quick enough during contractions. We blame this on him being who he is.

[trai]

I'll put my head above the parapet and take whatever comes.

Neither of mine have had the mmr, i was scared shitless and still am tbh. BOTH have had measles luke slightly worse than emmy. They didn't need hospitalising it was like a bad case of flu with a rash, I guessed it was measles took emmy drs and the dr said it wasn't. It wasn't until Luke caught it and we saw a different dr that it was diagnosed and then i had to take oral swabs of them both and send to the hpa for it to be confirmed. This was 3 years ago when there were a few cases reported, there were 20 + in our area.

[shazgh]

I remember watching a documentary about this a couple years ago, said dr as also involved in the production of the single vaccines, so stood to gain financial reward if it were given separately.
I never found anything worrying that would stop me getting my kis vaccinated and yes I agree the time it is given is also the age that autism becomes noticable, I also agree that I would rather have a special needs child than a dead one.
The outbreaks worry me and this is due to kids not being vaccinated, if the issue is their age then why don't parents get their kids vaccinated a bit older, or at least get single vaccines (which have been shown to provide less immunity than the triple vaccine)

[Girlzmum]

Trouble with the whole MMR scare was that even though it was widely known at the time the study was of only 12 children, and that it was very unsound, the press had a field day whipping up controversy wherever they could.

This now looks like they are trying to blame their scaremongering on Wakefield himself, because they can't admit they were wrong.

Autism first becomes apparent at about the same time as the MMR jab is administered, co-incidence, well yes I'm afraid it is.

I did some very basic research when the papers started having a field day with this and quickly came to realise they were simply scaremongering.

Not only that but the research was discredited when it was found that Dr Wakefield's research was being funded by the company that makes the single vaccines.

[mummyhill]

Both my children have had the MMR as I would rather immunise than risk my child getting measles which could be fatal, mumps which could in my sons case cause sterility or rubella which would pose a risk to any pregnant woman the kids came in contact with.

[Bear]

My girls will both have a rubella jab at 11 years old as I would not risk them catching it whilst pregnant.

Interestingly enough, on another forum I use there is currently a child who has measles and there are quite a few replies where people are saying that their child or children that they know of have caught measles despite having the MMR. There are apparently different strains of measles and the jab only protects against one particlular strain so it's not always effective anyway.

[shazgh]

It is effective, the difference between being vaccinated or not is the severity the child will suffer, unvaccinated kids can die, it is not as common for a vaccinated child to die. It is the same will all vaccinations nothing is 100% but it reduces severity, I am under no illusion that my girls may get any one of the illnesses they have been vaccinated against but I hope the woun't be severe enough to cause lasting damage or death, my issue is with those not vaccinated as it ultimately increases my kids chances of getting it.