2. Who is Andrew Wakefield?
Born 1956
Former British surgeon and researcher
St Mary’s Medical School London Qualified 1981
Became fellow of the Royal College of surgeons in 1985
Continued studies at University of Toronto
became a transplant surgeon
specializing in small intestine transplantation
Became senior lecturer and honorary consultant in gastroentology
Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine
3. While researching Chron’s disease, approached by Rosemary Kessick (1995)
Parent of autistic son seeking help with his bowel problems and Autism
Kessick runs Allergy Induced Autism
Focuses on effects of diet on autistic children’s behavior
Lead author of study published in 1998:
Wakefield AJ, Murch SH, Anthony A, et al. “Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia,
non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children”. Lancet 351
(9103): 637–41 (1998).
4. His Claims
Parents of 8 of the 12 participants made a temporal link to their child’s behavioral abnormalities
with the administration of the MMR vaccine
"We did not prove an association between measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and the
syndrome described,“ In his 1998 paper published in The Lancet
However in a later press conference, Wakefield suggested that parents space out three separate
vaccines instead of the multiple MMR vaccine administered in a single dose
Claimed Mesles infections obtained from vaccine causes Autism.
Twenty Twenty Interview, Feb 4, 1998: on the MMR vaccine
• INTERVIEWER: …do the advantages of continuing with the vaccines outweigh the disadvantages of
a problem developing if you, if you continue to have them?
• DR ANDREW WAKEFIELD: Well I think it’s a very complex question. Certainly if you continue, as I
would recommend to use the single vaccine, you do not incur a greater risk of those diseases in the
children, so that you do not lose the benefits of vaccination if you space them over time.
• INTERVIEWER: (CUTS) So even measles?
• DR ANDREW WAKEFIELD: Well as yet we don’t know, but there is no doubt that if you give three
viruses together, three live viruses, then you potentially increase the risk of an adverse event
occurring, particularly when one of those viruses influences the immune system in the way that
measles does. And it may be, and studies will show this or not, that giving the measles on its own
reduces the risk of this particular syndrome developing.
6. Outcome?
Reduced vaccinations in UK and all over the world.
Before Wakefield published: UK MMR vaccination rates were 92%
After publishing: UK MMR vaccination rates dropped below 80%
Thomas J. Paranoia Strikes Deep: MMR Vaccine and Autism. Psychiatric Times. 2010;27(3):1-6
7. Autism
What is autism? According to the NIH National Institute for
Neurological Disorders and Stroke:
“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a range of complex
neurodevelopment disorders, characterized by social
impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted,
repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior.”
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
8. How is autism diagnosed?
(Taken from NIH National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
ASD varies widely in severity and symptoms and may go unrecognized, especially in mildly affected
children or when it is masked by more debilitating handicaps. Very early indicators that require
evaluation by an expert include:
• no babbling or pointing by age 1
• no single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2
• no response to name
• loss of language or social skills
• poor eye contact
• excessive lining up of toys or objects
• no smiling or social responsiveness.
Later indicators include:
• impaired ability to make friends with peers
• impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others
• absence or impairment of imaginative and social play
• stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language
• restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus
• preoccupation with certain objects or subjects
• inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
9. Measles Mumps and Rubella Vaccine
Licensed in US in 1971
Second dose introduced 1989
Banatvala JE, Brown DW (2004). "Rubella".
Lancet 363 (9415): 1127–37.
Vaccine contains three attenuated virus
strains
Measles and Mumps propagated in chick embryo
cell culture
Attenuvax Product Sheet. Merck & Co., 2006
Mumpsvax Product Sheet. Merck & Co., 1999
Rubella propagated in WI-38 human diploid lung
fibroblasts
Package Insert, Meruvax II. Merck & Co., 2006
“That stung a little”
10. The first 20 years alone of measles vaccination
prevented an estimated:
52 million infections
17,400 cases of mental retardation
5,200 deaths
Bloch AB, Orenstein WA, Stetler HC et al. (1985). "Health impact of measles vaccination in
the United States". Pediatrics 76 (4): 524–32.
11. Between 1999 and 2004, efforts to increase
measles vaccination coverage by the WHO and
UNICEF prevented an estimated 1.4 million
deaths worldwide.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2006). “Progress In Reducing Global Measles
Deaths, 1999-2004”. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 55 (9): 247–9.
12. Measles cases reported in the United States, 1944-Cases 1944-1993 are reported in:
Centers for Disease Control and Preventi21, 1994 for Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report 1993; 42 (No. 53)
Cases 1976-2007 are reported in: Centers diseases—United States, [2007] Published July 9,
2009 for Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2007; 56 (No. 53)
16. Thimerosal!! www.drugs.com
Ethyl Organomercury compound, (was) used as preservative in vaccines
In one 1928 incident, 12 of 21 children vaccinated for Diptheria with a vaccine without any preservative died
from a Staph infection. (FDA)
Doesn’t reduce vaccine effectiveness like current (at the time) preservatives
Studies show it is safer than inorganic or methyl organomercury
US began removing it from vaccines as a precaution in 1999
Removed from all childhood vaccines except influenza by 2001
Currently only found in Flu vaccine (trace amounts)
Appears to be cleared by body after some time (weeks)
Clarkson TW, Magos L (2006). "The toxicology of mercury and
its Chemical compounds". Crit Rev Toxicol 36 (8): 609–62.
17. Studies:
Stokstad E, Science 12 September 2003:
Vol. 301. no. 5639, pp. 1454 - 1455
Danish Study
Study done in Japan
18. Additional Yokohama Study data
,
Hideo Honda, et al., No Effect of MMR Withdrawal on the Incidence of Autism: a
Total Population Study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 46:6 (2005),
pp 572–579
19. Another Danish Study
Another Danish Study
“Thimerosal and the Occurrence of Autism: Negative Ecological Evidence from Danish Population-
Based Data” Pediatrics, Kreesten M. Madsen, MD (September 2003)
21. UK Study
James A Kaye, et al., Mumps, Mmeasles, and Rubella Vaccine and the Incidence of Autism Recorded by General Practitioners: A Time Trend
Analysis. BMJ Volume 322. 24 February, 2001
22. Loring Dales, et al., Time Trends in Autism and in MMR Immunization Coverage in
California. JAMA. 2001;285(9):1183-1185
23. CDC, WHO, NIH, NEJM, and dozens of others,
report that there is no correlation between
Autism and the MMR vaccine
24. Any Support for Wakefield?
http://jennymccarthyimages.blogspot.com/ http://www.zuguide.com/blog/2008/12/05/yes-man-aka-
liar-liar-part-ii/
25. 14studies.org
• About Us
• This website was compiled by the founders of Generation
Rescue, Jenny McCarthy’s autism organization. Generation
Rescue is a parent-founded and parent-led non-profit
organization with more than 1,000 parent volunteers all
over the world.
• The Generation Rescue website provides a wealth of
information about autism. Please consider taking the time
to learn more about: biomedical intervention, finding a
doctor, finding a rescue angel, learning about the success
stories of others, and learning about vaccinating safely.
• For more information, check out
www.generationrescue.org
26. Actually, Wakefield’s paper was retracted by the Lancet
The Lancet, Volume 375, Issue 9713, Page 445, 6 February 2010 (retraction)
Controversy arose as soon as his study was published
Increased when the UK made no plans or efforts to offer a single
vaccine alternative
Wakefield left the Royal Free Hospital blaming the unpopularity
of his results in 2001
Continued clinical research in US with controversial researcher
Jeff Bradstreet
27. Allegations of misconduct presented in the Sunday Times
(London) or Channel 4 by investigator Brian Deer
Date reported:
Feb 2004: Some of parents in study were recruited by a UK lawyer preparing a lawsuit
against the MMR manufacturers
24 hrs prior to release of Sunday Times report: Lancet retracts an interpretation in the
paper and state that Wakefield’s research is “fatally flawed.” 10 of 12 coauthors
involved in retraction
November 2004: Prior to paper’s release Wakefield filed patent application for a single
measles virus.
Wakefield files Libel charges against “everyone.” but has his actions frozen until General
Medical Council proceedings against him conclude. He was forced to pursue charges or
drop them.
November 2005: Channel 4 lawyers submit pleadings to the court:
28. (i) Had dishonestly and irresponsibly spread fear that the MMR vaccine might
cause autism in some children, even though he knew that his own
laboratory's tests dramatically contradicted his claims and he knew or ought
to have known that there was absolutely no scientific basis at all for his belief
that MMR should be broken up into single vaccines.
(ii) In spreading such fear, also acted dishonestly and irresponsibly, by
repeatedly failing to disclose conflicts of interest and/or material information,
including his association with contemplated litigation against the
manufacturers of MMR and his application for a patent for a vaccine for
measles which, if effective, and if the MMR vaccine had been undermined
and/or withdrawn on safety grounds, would have been commercially very
valuable.
(iii) Caused medical colleagues serious unease by carrying out research
tests on vulnerable children outside the terms or in breach of the permission
given by an ethics committee, in particular by subjecting those children to
highly invasive and sometimes distressing clinical procedures and thereby
abusing them.
(iv) Has been unremittingly evasive and dishonest in an effort to cover up his
wrong-doing.
29. Proceedings continued for two years until:
Reported December 2006: A figure from the Legal Services Commission
showed that Wakefield received £435,643 from lawyers responsible for
MMR lawsuit (previously undisclosed), payments began two years prior to
paper’s release
Within ten days Wakefield dropped his libel charges and was forced to pay
Channel 4’s legal fees
UK GMC charged Wakefield with serious professional misconduct, including
dishonesty, hearings began 2007
January 28, 2010 Wakefield found guilty of all charges
Data fixing, caused life-threatening complications in one participant,
improper recruitment of participants, invasive procedures performed
without proper approval and contrary to participants interests, etc……
the list goes on
31. Future thoughts
Total number of vaccines?
Autism Linked to Juandice?
US News & World Report, MSNBC, etc.
Based off of studies in Denmark
Fetal stem cell links?
Maternal Antibodies contribution?
Singer HS, etal., Antibodies against fetal brain in sera of mothers with autistic children.
J Neuroimmunol. 2008 Feb;194(1-2):165-72. Epub 2008 Feb 21
