MMR Doctor Andrew Wakefield Fixed Data on Autism

[PoliticalChic]

The Sunday Times
February 8, 2009
Brian Deer

THE doctor who sparked the scare over the safety of the MMR vaccine for children changed and misreported results in his research, creating the appearance of a possible link with autism, a Sunday Times investigation has found.

Confidential medical documents and interviews with witnesses have established that Andrew Wakefield manipulated patients’ data, which triggered fears that the MMR triple vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella was linked to the condition.

The research was published in February 1998 in an article in The Lancet medical journal. It claimed that the families of eight out of 12 children attending a routine clinic at the hospital had blamed MMR for their autism, and said that problems came on within days of the jab. The team also claimed to have discovered a new inflammatory bowel disease underlying the children’s conditions.

However, our investigation, confirmed by evidence presented to the General Medical Council (GMC), reveals that: In most of the 12 cases, the children’s ailments as described in The Lancet were different from their hospital and GP records. Although the research paper claimed that problems came on within days of the jab, in only one case did medical records suggest this was true, and in many of the cases medical concerns had been raised before the children were vaccinated. Hospital pathologists, looking for inflammatory bowel disease, reported in the majority of cases that the gut was normal. This was then reviewed and the Lancet paper showed them as abnormal.

MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed data on autism - Times Online

Many people have very strong feelings about autism and how a child may develop it. Does this article sway you one way or another?

 

[dilloduck]

The Sunday Times
February 8, 2009
Brian Deer

THE doctor who sparked the scare over the safety of the MMR vaccine for children changed and misreported results in his research, creating the appearance of a possible link with autism, a Sunday Times investigation has found.

Confidential medical documents and interviews with witnesses have established that Andrew Wakefield manipulated patients’ data, which triggered fears that the MMR triple vaccine to protect against measles, mumps and rubella was linked to the condition.

The research was published in February 1998 in an article in The Lancet medical journal. It claimed that the families of eight out of 12 children attending a routine clinic at the hospital had blamed MMR for their autism, and said that problems came on within days of the jab. The team also claimed to have discovered a new inflammatory bowel disease underlying the children’s conditions.

However, our investigation, confirmed by evidence presented to the General Medical Council (GMC), reveals that: In most of the 12 cases, the children’s ailments as described in The Lancet were different from their hospital and GP records. Although the research paper claimed that problems came on within days of the jab, in only one case did medical records suggest this was true, and in many of the cases medical concerns had been raised before the children were vaccinated. Hospital pathologists, looking for inflammatory bowel disease, reported in the majority of cases that the gut was normal. This was then reviewed and the Lancet paper showed them as abnormal.

MMR doctor Andrew Wakefield fixed data on autism - Times Online

Many people have very strong feelings about autism and how a child may develop it. Does this article sway you one way or another?

No--Drs and Pharmas regularly mess with facts to promote themselves.
but I'm damn curious about what's causing the apparent leap in austism and related disorders.

 

[auditor0007]

I would just like to know if the numbers on autism, that we are fed, are actually true. 1 out of every 125 to 150 seems astronomically high. And if these numbers are on target, then we should be looking at autism as an epidemic.

 

[dilloduck]

I would just like to know if the numbers on autism, that we are fed, are actually true. 1 out of every 125 to 150 seems astronomically high. And if these numbers are on target, then we should be looking at autism as an epidemic.

It appears that way to me. It's nearly impossible to meet soemone these days who hasn't been affected by it. It wasn't always this way.

 

[random3434]

I would just like to know if the numbers on autism, that we are fed, are actually true. 1 out of every 125 to 150 seems astronomically high. And if these numbers are on target, then we should be looking at autism as an epidemic.

It appears that way to me. It's nearly impossible to meet soemone these days who hasn't been affected by it. It wasn't always this way.

This may be true, but also, autism falls under many spectrums now. Before, someone may have had autism, but not have been diagonosed with it under the autism spectrum. Doctors are learning more about what causes autism every day,,but it is still a medical mystery in many ways.

 

[dilloduck]

I would just like to know if the numbers on autism, that we are fed, are actually true. 1 out of every 125 to 150 seems astronomically high. And if these numbers are on target, then we should be looking at autism as an epidemic.

It appears that way to me. It's nearly impossible to meet soemone these days who hasn't been affected by it. It wasn't always this way.

This may be true, but also, autism falls under many spectrums now. Before, someone may have had autism, but not have been diagonosed with it under the autism spectrum. Doctors are learning more about what causes autism every day,,but it is still a medical mystery in many ways.

It's most likely true that much of it was unreported or misdiagnosed it the past but the amount people with mental conditions that fall under this spectrum literally astounds me.

 

[auditor0007]

The reason I question the validity of the numbers is that I only know of one child affected by autism. I just don't really know any parents with autistic kids. Having raised two boys to adulthood and now raising two more, I only know of the one child. That doesn't mean I don't believe the numbers; I just question if they are accurate.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I find it impossible to believe that when so many parents report a change in their normal child to that of an child exhibiting autistic symptoms within days or weeks of receiving an MMR shot, that the MMR shot is not somehow involved in the change. To me, it falls outside of the realm of 'coincidence'. Using thimerisol (mercury) as a preservative in something that is being injected into a human being (a brand new human being at that) is the most assinine thing I've ever heard. Mercury is toxic, regardless of dosage. They also use formaldehyde as a preservative. (whether they do now or not, I don't know. They did in the past). IMO, vaccines are given way too many way too young. I don't think they should even give vaccinations until a child is over two. I'm sick of the government mandating that this is what we need and this is when we need it. While I don't believe vaccinations had anything to do with my son's autism, as a precaution we had my youngest daugther's titers checked when she was five because they wanted her to have more shots. Turns out that she was still protected from earlier vaccinations on everything except whooping cough, and that was within range but low. I asked if getting more vaccines would make her more protected, the doctor said no. I then asked why should she get more shots? Not much of an answer from the doc.

This article doesn't sway me because I have a great distrust of doctors anyway; the article just reinforces that opinion. Too many have failed us and family members. I'm tired of them thinking that just because they are a doctor, they know everything and they are right.