Kristina V. Gidding, Tuesday, May 25, 2010 | Filed under: Miscellaneous
In 1998, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield published the first study suggesting a connection between autism and the MMR vaccine. On May 24, 2010, England’s top medical group ruled that Dr. Wakefield conducted his research unethically and then banned him from practicing medicine anywhere in England. Even before today, 10 of the 13 authors who worked with Dr. Wakefield on the 1998 study renounced its conclusions. Additionally, in February 2010, Dr. Wakefield was found guilty of acting unethically during his research study on autism.
All of the recent events regarding Dr. Wakefield have focused on the way his research was conducted rather than the science behind his conclusions; nonetheless, many doctors who dispute the science and assert that the MMR vaccine is safe cite today’s ruling as support for the idea that Dr. Wakefield’s study should not be relied upon.