Andrew Wakefield, autism/MMR study renounced
Posted By Phyllis on May 25, 2010
The Wall Street Journal today ran a story on the U.K.’s decision to renounce Andrew Wakefield, a doctor who raised questions about vaccination possibly causing autism.
Wakefield’s study has been the subject of a three-year hearing in front of Britain’s General Medical Council. The council found Wakefield guilty of “serious professional misconduct” and struck his name from the U.K.’s medical register.
At issue was a small study, published in 1998 in The Lancet, describing 12 “previously normal” children with serious gastroentestinal problems. Some were autistic as well. According to the Journal, the paper concluded in this way:
“In most cases, onset of symptoms was after measles, mumps and rubella immunization. Further investigations are needed to examine this syndrome and its possible relation to this vaccine.”
Now, I think these guys in the U.K. are reacting pretty strongly to such a mildly worded suggestion at the end of Wakefield’s paper. (As it happens, I believe, further research has found no link between the measles virus in the MMR vaccine and autism.)
Goes to show how political this vaccination question is.
“I think these guys in the U.K. are reacting pretty strongly to such a mildly worded suggestion”
I suspect you haven’t read the General Medical Council’s (GMC) verdict. It had nothing to do with what Wakefield wrote. It was his conduct during the study. The press release was posted at Age of Autism.
Here is an excerpt:
The Panel has already found proved that Dr Wakefield’s Honorary Consultant appointment was subject to a stipulation that he would not have any involvement in the clinical management of patients. On five occasions (child 2, 4, 5, 12 and 7) he ordered investigations on children, when he had no paediatric qualifications, and in contravention of the limitations on his appointment. The Panel considered this alone constituted a breach of trust of patients and employers alike.
In February 1996 Dr Wakefield agreed to act as an expert in respect of MMR litigation. In relation to the Legal Aid Board (LAB), the Panel found that Dr Wakefield accepted monies totalling £50,000 procured through Mr Barr, the Claimants’ solicitor to pursue research. A costing proposal had been submitted by Mr Barr to the LAB containing detailed information provided by Dr Wakefield, and Dr Wakefield ought to have realised that Mr Barr would submit it to the LAB.
The costing proposal set out costs in respect of the investigation of five children. It covered each child’s four-night stay in hospital with colonoscopy, MRI and evoked potential studies. Dr Wakefield admitted that the funding subsequently provided by the Legal Aid Board had not been needed for these items because these costs were borne by the National Health Service as the patients were being admitted as NHS patients.
The Panel found that Dr Wakefield had a duty to disclose this information to the Legal Aid Board via Mr Barr. It was dishonest and misleading of him not to have done so. The Panel concluded that his intention to mislead the Legal Aid Board was sufficient on its own to amount to serious professional misconduct.
The Panel also found that in respect of £25,000 of LAB monies, Dr Wakefield caused or permitted it to be used for purposes other than those for which he said it was needed and for which it had been granted. In doing so he was in breach of his duties in relation to the managing of, and accounting for, funds.
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