BMJ: vaccines "study" was an elaborate fraud

DonnaL · January 10, 2011, 11:23pm

Mission or not, he did discredit Wakefield. The study was retracted as worthless long ago, and has now been proven intentionally fraudulent. The continued attempts to make excuses for him are reprehensible.

Hunt · January 11, 2011, 8:47am

I note that the comments quoted above defending Wakefield were made by a guy (Dr. Deth!) who was at the time of an interview attending a conference with Wakefield.

coureur · January 11, 2011, 11:30am

Or perhaps his mission was to discover the truth. If Wakefield’s work is fraudulent then it is only proper that he be discredited by the truth.

Hugcheck · January 11, 2011, 1:31pm

Thanks for the link Scansmom in post #80. Very interesting.

I came across this article. It gives a good summary of the supposed research, and lists many papers (if you scroll about half way down) in addition to Wakefield’s that seem to show an increase in intestinal problems associated with autism.

[Regressive</a> Autism, Ileal-Lymphoid Nodular Hyperplasia and Measles Virus by David Thrower](<a href=“http://www.whale.to/vaccines/thrower45.html]Regressive”>Regressive Autism, Ileal-Lymphoid Nodular Hyperplasia and Measles Virus by David Thrower)

It’s also interesting reading about the use of the Urabe strain (a less expensive version)of the mumps portion of the MMR vaccine in the UK after and even tho it was taken off the market in Japan and Canada due to unacceptable increase in meningoencephalitis side effects. I guess they took it off the market in the UK after a few years, too. I wonder if parents stopped vaccinating in part due to this? It is my understanding that Wakefield never said stop vaccinating. He just suggested single doses instead of the triple combo.

Hugcheck · January 11, 2011, 1:58pm

Also,

James Murdoch - Son of Rupert Murdoch,
CEO of News International Ltd (the company who owns the London Times, the paper Brian Deer writes for) was appointed to the board of directors of Glaxo SmithKline PLC (manufacturer of MMR vaccine and Swineflu vaccine) 20th May 2009.

[Swine</a> Flu Vaccine Manufactures Glaxo Smith Kline’s directors list. | <a href=“http://www.tpuc.org%5B/url%5D”>www.tpuc.org](<a href=“http://www.tpuc.org/content/swine-flu-manufactures-glaxo-smith-klines-]Swine”>http://www.tpuc.org/content/swine-flu-manufactures-glaxo-smith-klines-)</a>

Someone ought to make a movie.

dadinator · January 11, 2011, 2:03pm

Interesting article on the subject:

[An</a> Epidemic of Fear: How Panicked Parents Skipping Shots Endangers Us All | Magazine](<a href=“http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/ff_waronscience/all/1#Replay]An”>http://www.wired.com/magazine/2009/10/ff_waronscience/all/1#Replay)

rom828 · January 11, 2011, 2:04pm

Hugcheck, are you defending Wakefield? I haven’t read all of your links, just trying to understand your point.

Hugcheck · January 11, 2011, 3:33pm

July 1, 2003 Crispin Davis, Chairman of Reed-Elsevier (The Lancet’s proprietor)(and boss of the editor, Horton, who pulled the study) was put on the board of Glaxo Smithkline.

I’m just following interesting facts. No judgement. I do try to delve into some detail before simply believing the popular press.

Edit: in all honesty, I do have some difficulty believing that someone of Wakefield’s background in gastroenterology who was working on Crohn’s disease and then due to his expertise came to research a possible link between autistic people’s digestive distress and their autism, is pure evil. I mean there is so much money at stake in big Pharma and so many lawsuits possible in the works if a link were to be found that it would not surprise me if something more might be going on. It is interesting to me that there is other research showing a higher incidence of intestinal illness in autistic people than the general population in that last article I posted - hence, it is false to say that none of Wakefield’s research has been corroborated.

I am reading Wakefield’s book now and he is pretty forthright in his condemnation of government regulators who first allowed the triple vaccination (MMR) to be used (not anywhere near enough testing). Kicking a hornet’s nest, I’d suppose.

The preface by Dr. Peter Fletcher, “Ex-Prinicipal Medical Officer with responsibility for the UK’s Committee on Safety of Medicines and later Senior Principal Medical Officer and chief Scientific Officer” uses words like, “scanty evidence of safety in the submissions” for trivalent (MMR) (as opposed to separate, monovalent) product licenses granted in around 1987 in a “rapid granting” procedure that included a “handful of clinical trials each having no more than 7-800 subjects and none of them conducted in the UK” with regard to original MMR licensure procedures in the UK. Fletcher also says that, “Had I still been there I would have required at least 10,000 patients in each submission with active safety surveillance for a minimum of 3 months…”

It’s an interesting read. A very difficult topic. Villains enough for all, when you’re talking about children harmed by shots.

*truthiness time - my brother was killed by an improperly diluted saline solution shot given at birth (he lived in a coma in hospital 'till he was 10 and died when I was 8). Sensitive topic for me. Doctors are humans (imperfect), too.

calmom · January 11, 2011, 6:22pm

It’s a big leap from a correlation between intestinal illness in autistic people and suggesting causation from vaccines.

And sloppy research helps no one. It’s possible that Wakefield was so blinded by his own beliefs that he felt he was justified in fudging the data – but if so, he’s only managed to set back the cause, as given the exposure of his fraud, it’s going to be a lot harder for others to get funding for such research.

Hugcheck · January 26, 2011, 8:13am

New Study by Wake Forest Researchers corroborates Wakefield work:

[Scientists</a> fear MMR link to autism | Mail Online](<a href=“Scientists fear MMR link to autism | Daily Mail Online”>Scientists fear MMR link to autism | Daily Mail Online)

rom828 · January 26, 2011, 9:26am

Hugcheck - Wakefield LIED about his work. How could any study corroborate his study, when his study was fabricated?

Hunt · January 26, 2011, 9:57am

That Daily Mail article is apparently actually from 2006. Here’s more information:
[Dr</a>. Stephen Walker on MMR: No link : Blisstree - Serious Health and Wellness – Injected With Humor](<a href=“http://blisstree.com/live/dr-stephen-walker-on-mmr-no-link/?utm_source=blisstree&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=b5hubs_migration]Dr”>http://blisstree.com/live/dr-stephen-walker-on-mmr-no-link/?utm_source=blisstree&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=b5hubs_migration)
and
<a href=“MMR vaccine: How the row developed | Daily Mail Online”>MMR vaccine: How the row developed | Daily Mail Online;

In addition, the work was just presented in a poster session, and was never published.

Nrdsb4 · January 26, 2011, 11:57am

Ok, so the " new study" just referenced by Hugcheck was actually done in 2006?"

Interesting quote from the article linked above:

In an article in today’s Winston-Salem Journal, Dr. Walker is quoted as saying that, even if a link can be found between the MMR virus and bowel disease,

<pre><code>“the conclusion will be simply that there is measles virus in the gut of a large number of children who have regressive autism and bowel disease. We haven’t done anything to demonstrate that the measles virus is causing autism.”
</code></pre>

Dr. Walker is an an assistant professor of physiology and pharmacology at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

Last week, news sources like the Daily Mail reported that Dr. Walker’s research indicated an MMR vaccine-autism link.

Dr. Walker would do well to clarify what his research has actually found in order not to sow confusion, or unnecessary worry.

emmom · January 27, 2011, 10:47am

[Documents</a> emerge proving Dr Andrew Wakefield innocent; BMJ and Brian Deer caught misrepresenting the facts](<a href=“Documents emerge proving Dr Andrew Wakefield innocent; BMJ and Brian Deer caught misrepresenting the facts - NaturalNews.com”>Documents emerge proving Dr Andrew Wakefield innocent; BMJ and Brian Deer caught misrepresenting the facts - NaturalNews.com)

Son_of_Opie · January 29, 2011, 2:42pm

Keep in mind the Daily Mail is the British version of the National Enquirer.

Hugcheck · January 30, 2011, 9:35am

From Emmom’s link (not the Daily Mail, but NaturalNews.com):

"(NaturalNews) New documents have emerged that clear Dr Andrew Wakefield of the allegations of fraud recently made by the British Medical Journal and its reporter Brian Deer. This new evidence “completely negates the allegations that I committed scientific
fraud. Brian Deer and Dr. Godlee of the British Medical Journal (BMJ) knew or should
have known about the facts set out below before publishing their false allegations,” says Dr Andrew Wakefield (see sources, below).

Newly-revealed documents show that on December 20th, 1996, a meeting of The Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group based at the Royal Free Hospital Medical School featured a presentation by Professor Walker-Smith on seven of the children who would later become part of the group of patients Dr Wakefield wrote about in his 1998 The Lancet paper (which was later retracted by The Lancet).

Remember, Dr Wakefield has been accused of completely fabricating his findings about these same children in his 1998 paper, but these documents reveal that fourteen months before Dr Wakefield’s paper was published, two other researchers – Professor Walker-Smith and Dr Amar Dhillon – independently documented the same problems in these children, including symptoms of autism.

Thus, Dr Wakefield could not have “fabricated” these findings

Learn more: [Documents</a> emerge proving Dr Andrew Wakefield innocent; BMJ and Brian Deer caught misrepresenting the facts](<a href=“Documents emerge proving Dr Andrew Wakefield innocent; BMJ and Brian Deer caught misrepresenting the facts - NaturalNews.com”>Documents emerge proving Dr Andrew Wakefield innocent; BMJ and Brian Deer caught misrepresenting the facts - NaturalNews.com)

MommaJ · January 30, 2011, 3:36pm

Ah, “NaturalNews.com” Well, if it’s on the Daily Mail AND an obscure website run by one guy with an obvious agenda, it must be true.

There’s nothing to be gained by linking to barrages in some British ****ing match.

Hugcheck · January 30, 2011, 4:23pm

Yup, nothing to be gained except maybe some kids won’t be poisoned, harmed, ignored, dismissed, left to languish because nobody has the courage to face up to the possibility that measles might contribute to autism like symptoms and that by vaccinating with a live virus (remember how they altered vaccines Sabin and Salk due to problems <a href=“http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/polio.php?[/url]”>http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEC/CC/polio.php?</a>) you might be causing harm. These kids might be getting the side effects of measles we’ve been trying to prevent with vaccination. But kill the messenger. Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Hunt · January 31, 2011, 10:09am

Like many of these situations, it boils down to who you choose to believe: the vast bulk of scientists and respected institutions, or a few renegades who have a different idea. In this case, you have the added fact that the renegade has been clearly shown to be a fake and a liar. You really can’t believe Wakefield unless you believe that there is a vast conspiracy to discredit him.

As for killing the messenger, that’s what you do when the messenger brings you bad news you don’t like. That’s what the people *defending *Wakefield are doing.

BunsenBurner · April 21, 2011, 12:03pm

Well, here we go:

[Health</a> | Europe, especially France, hit by measles outbreak | Seattle Times Newspaper](<a href=“http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2014831437_apeueuropemeaslesoutbreak.html]Health”>http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/health/2014831437_apeueuropemeaslesoutbreak.html)

Europe, especially France, has been hit by a major outbreak of measles, which the U.N. health agency is blaming on the failure to vaccinate all children.

The World Health Organization said Thursday that France had 4,937 reported cases of measles between January and March - compared with 5,090 cases during all of 2010. In all, more than 6,500 cases have been reported in 33 European nations.

“This is a lot of cases, to put it mildly. In past years we’ve had very few cases,” said Rebecca Martin, head of WHO’s office in Copenhagen for vaccine-preventable diseases and immunization.

“There’s been a buildup of children who have not been immunized over the years,” she said. “It’s almost like a threshold. When you have enough people who have not been immunized, then outbreaks can occur.”

WHO has found that young people between 10 and 19 have not been getting immunized as they should, she said.

To prevent measles outbreaks, officials need to vaccinate about 90 percent of the population. But vaccination rates across Europe have been patchy in recent years and have never fully recovered from a discredited 1998 British study linking the vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella to autism. Parents abandoned the vaccine in droves and vaccination rates for parts of the U.K. dropped to about 50 percent.

More in the article. Make sure that your study abroad-bound kids are current on their immunizations.

BMJ: vaccines "study" was an elaborate fraud

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