Chloe Ramirez
In 1996, Andrew Wakefield began researching a possible connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. His controversial 1998 study, which was published in The Lancet, suggested a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. However, in 2010, Wakefield lost his license to practise medicine in the UK and was barred from practising as a physician in the US. The General Medicine Council found him guilty of serious professional misconduct, including conducting studies without ethical approval and paying children for blood samples. Wakefield's findings have been widely discredited and retracted by The Lancet, with growing evidence to the contrary of his claims.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Andrew Wakefield |
| Year of controversial study's release | 1998 |
| Journal | The Lancet |
| Type of study | Suggested a link between autism and the MMR vaccine |
| Alleged acts of misconduct | Conducting studies without ethical approval, paying children for blood samples, serving as a paid consultant to attorneys of parents who believed their children were harmed by vaccines |
| License status | Lost license to practice medicine in the UK, not licensed in the US |
| Current residence | US |
| Supporters | National Autism Association, anti-vaccinationist Jenny McCarthy |
| Awards | Lifetime Achievement in Quackery award by the Good Thinking Society |
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What You'll Learn
Andrew Wakefield's discredited study
Andrew Wakefield is a British former physician and senior lecturer in gastroenterology. In 1995, he published a study in The Lancet, a medical journal, which showed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism in children. The study was discredited and retracted by the editors of The Lancet in 2004.
Wakefield's study claimed that children who had been vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) were more likely to have bowel disease and autism. He speculated that the injection of a 'dead' form of the measles virus could cause intestinal tissue disruption, leading to these disorders. The study caused a panic, with vaccination rates dropping in the US and the UK.
Wakefield's research has been widely discredited and described as "the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years". Several large multinational studies have since been conducted, with far more participants and less selection bias, and no link between the MMR vaccine and autism has been found. Wakefield's study has been blamed for a drop in measles vaccination rates and the subsequent increase in measles cases.
Wakefield has been accused of conducting his studies without ethical approval and paying children for blood samples. He was stripped of his medical license and is barred from practising medicine in the UK and the US. He has also received criticism and awards for his anti-vaccination stance, including being named in Time magazine's "Great Science Frauds" list in 2012 and receiving the Lifetime Achievement in Quackery award by the Good Thinking Society in the same year.
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Wakefield's alleged misconduct
Andrew Jeremy Wakefield is a British former physician, anti-vaccine activist, and fraudster. He was struck off the medical register for "serious professional misconduct" due to his involvement in the fraudulent 1998 Lancet MMR autism study, which falsely claimed a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism.
The General Medical Council (GMC) conducted an inquiry into allegations of misconduct against Wakefield and two former colleagues, focusing on the findings of an investigation by Sunday Times reporter Brian Deer. Deer's investigation identified undisclosed financial conflicts of interest on Wakefield's part, including that he stood to earn up to $43 million per year selling test kits.
The GMC found that Wakefield had been dishonest in his research, had acted against patients' best interests, mistreated developmentally delayed children, and had ""failed in his duties as a responsible consultant". He was struck off the United Kingdom medical register in May 2010, effectively ending his career as a physician.
Wakefield's 1998 paper, published in the British medical journal The Lancet, claimed to have identified a novel form of enterocolitis linked to autism. However, other researchers were unable to reproduce his findings, and most of Wakefield's co-authors later withdrew their support for the study's interpretations. The Lancet retracted the paper in February 2010, stating that "it was utterly clear, without any ambiguity at all, that the statements in the paper were utterly false."
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The Lancet's retraction of the study
In 1998, physician Andrew Wakefield published a fraudulent research paper in the British medical journal The Lancet. The paper, titled "Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children", falsely claimed causative links between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and colitis and between colitis and autism.
The fraud involved data selection, data manipulation, and two undisclosed conflicts of interest. Firstly, Wakefield was employed by a lawyer representing parents in lawsuits against vaccine producers, and he stood to earn up to $43 million per year selling diagnostic kits for a non-existent syndrome he claimed to have discovered. Secondly, he had a patent for a single measles vaccine.
In 2004, The Lancet partially retracted the paper, citing concerns about aspects of funding for parallel and related work, the existence of ongoing litigation, and Wakefield's undisclosed conflict of interest. The journal did not, however, withdraw the paper, citing the "public interest in the issue".
In February 2010, following a lengthy Sunday Times investigation by reporter Brian Deer, The Lancet fully retracted the paper, describing it as "'utterly false' and stating that the journal had been deceived. The editors of the Lancet announced on 2 February 2010 that they "fully retract this paper from the published record".
The retraction came after Britain's General Medical Council ruled that Wakefield had acted unethically and had shown "'callous disregard' for the children in his study, upon whom invasive tests were performed. The council also found that Wakefield had manipulated evidence and broken other ethical codes. As a result, Wakefield was found guilty of serious professional misconduct and was struck off the UK and US medical registers, meaning he could no longer practise as a doctor in those countries.
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The harm caused by Wakefield's study
Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent study, which falsely claimed a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, caused significant harm and had far-reaching repercussions.
Firstly, it led to a sharp decline in vaccination rates, not just in the UK and North America but also worldwide. This resulted in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles, causing serious illnesses and even deaths. The drop in immunization rates was particularly notable in the UK and North America, where it contributed to an increase in measles cases. The impact was so significant that it was described as a "global vaccine scare."
Secondly, Wakefield's study spawned an anti-vaccine movement, with high-profile celebrities and organizations supporting his claims. This spread of misinformation sowed seeds of doubt and distrust in the safety and efficacy of vaccines, not just the MMR vaccine but vaccinations in general. Wakefield's continued claims that vaccines are harmful have contributed to a climate of skepticism and hesitancy, endangering public health and undermining confidence in legitimate scientific research.
Additionally, Wakefield's study caused emotional distress to parents, particularly those with children suffering from debilitating illnesses. His implication that parents were to blame for their children's suffering due to vaccination created a sense of guilt and helplessness. The study also led to unnecessary medical procedures and diagnostic tests on children, which were not in their best clinical interests.
Furthermore, the resources and efforts of the scientific community were diverted to refute Wakefield's fraudulent findings and expose the scientific fraud. This diversion slowed down progress in understanding the real causes and potential cures for developmental disabilities like autism and gastrointestinal diseases.
Finally, the damage caused by Wakefield's study was not limited to public health and scientific research. It also had legal and economic repercussions. Wakefield's claims led to lawsuits against vaccine-producing companies, and he himself served as a paid consultant to attorneys representing parents who believed their children had been harmed by vaccines. The financial incentives and conflicts of interest involved in the study further exacerbated the harm caused.
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Wakefield's response to losing his license
In response to losing his license, Dr. Andrew Wakefield denied the charges against him and vowed to appeal the decision. He continued to maintain that vaccines cause autism, stating that "there are millions of children out there suffering".
Wakefield also claimed that the efforts to discredit and silence him were a screen to shield the government from exposure. He believed that his research had uncovered a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism, and that this link was being covered up by powerful institutions.
Wakefield's research and subsequent license revocation sparked a decline in vaccination uptake and a rise in the anti-vaccination movement. His work has been described as "the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years," and he has been awarded several satirical awards for pseudoscience and quackery. Despite this, Wakefield continued to promote his anti-vaccination views, directing the anti-vaccination film "Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe" in 2016.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Andrew Wakefield was stripped of his license to practice medicine in the UK.
Andrew Wakefield was found guilty of "serious professional misconduct" by England's General Medicine Council. He conducted studies without ethical approval and served as a paid consultant to attorneys of parents who believed their children had been harmed by vaccines.
Andrew Wakefield's 1998 study in the Lancet suggested a possible link between autism and the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. However, his findings were not replicated and were contested by several large-scale investigations.
Andrew Wakefield's research sparked a widespread anti-vaccine movement, leading to a decrease in vaccination rates and an increase in measles outbreaks. It also led to unnecessary fear and anxiety among parents, putting children at risk of preventable diseases.
Despite losing his license, Andrew Wakefield continued to maintain that vaccines cause autism and planned to proceed with his research. He moved to the US, where he has a following, including anti-vaccinationists like Jenny McCarthy.
