The whole debacle started when a Gastroenterologist named Dr. Andrew Wakefield published a study in a renowned British medical journal called The Lancet. In it he hypothesized that the measles virus could damage the intestinal wall, causing it to leak some unidentified protein. He then speculated this protein could somehow reach the brain and cause Autism. He postulated that the MMR vaccine introduced the virus into the bodies of the 12 children he studied and caused the neurological symptoms of Autism (qtd. in Hall). The theory is as stupid as it sounds when you explain it in layman’s terms, but all dressed up in scientific lingo it sounded a little better, maybe even plausible to desperate parents searching for answers. It was later discovered that he was funded by lawyers representing desperate parents who were suing vaccine makers. The parent’s claim was that the vaccine had caused their children’s Autism.
Dr. Wakefield’s egregious misconduct did not stop at taking bribes to reach scientific conclusions. He admitted to getting his blood samples from children at his son’s birthday party. Wakefield callously joked in public about the children crying, vomiting, and fainting as their blood was drawn. He did pay the children a small amount for their trouble. He also repeatedly subjected children to invasive procedures such as spinal taps and colonoscopies (Novella). He was desperate to link the MMR vaccine to Autism in some way.
When Dr. Wakefield’s tests for the measles RNA virus in the intestinal walls of his subjects came back negative he went ahead with the publication of the study, even though its conclusions had been effectively disproven by his own tests. His research assistant was incredulous, he asked that his name be removed from the paper and later testified against Dr. Wakefield (Hall, 27).
It didn’t take long for Dr. Wakefield to be exposed as a fraud. The Lancet retracted the study, calling it “fatally flawed,” and apologized for publishing it. Wakefield was forced to resign and an investigation into his conduct began (Novella). Credible scientists around the world breathed a collective sigh of relief as the media finally exposed Wakefield’s junk science. They must have been astonished at how little it affected the public’s perception of the vaccine/Autism correlation. The drab, bespectacled scientists who railed against the MMR as a cause for Autism were no match for Jenny McCarthy’s celebrity. Their conclusive epidemiological studies could not compete against Oprah. The public rarely reads medical journals, but millions watch daytime TV.
The lies and conspiracy theories continued to grow. What was once an easy case of a greedy doctor taking a bribe from greedy lawyers to produce research that will win the case has turned into a circus of controversy that won’t die. There is real danger in allowing the public to continue to believe that vaccines could cause Autism. We are beginning to see the real fallout from this lie in numerous areas around the US.
In 2008 the CDC reported an outbreak of measles in an under vaccinated area of San Diego, CA. One thousand people were exposed, 12 were seriously ill, and 73 people were quarantined. The CDC traced the outbreak back to an unvaccinated seven year old boy who had traveled abroad and brought the disease back with him (Harrism, 203). One unvaccinated child put nearly one thousand people at risk. It’s terrifying to think of the impact of thousands of unvaccinated people traveling unchecked could cause.
A growing number of parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children. The herd immunity, that once protected the vulnerable members of our society like newborns or the medically fragile, is being jeopardized. There is an epidemic looming on the horizon. The younger generations have never seen the devastation some of the vaccine preventable diseases can cause. My generation has never been trapped in an iron lung for months or watched helplessly as our infant died from Pertussis. It’s easier to refuse the vaccines when you have no personal experience with the disease they prevent. When you add the fear that the vaccine may cause and irreversible developmental disorder like Autism; parents feel the risks of vaccinating are too great.
We don’t live in a bubble. Making the decision not to vaccinate based on a disproven scientific study and the media’s false assertions, puts public health at risk. Dozens of studies have been done by reputable scientists around the world and the results are crystal clear. There is no link between Autism and vaccines. There is no link between Autism and any ingredient in vaccines (Madsen and Vestergaard, 846). Vaccines save countless lives and should be viewed as miracles of modern science. I hope this controversy can be laid to rest and we can focus on finding the real causes of Autism.
Works Cited
Hall, Harriet. “Vaccines and Autism: A Deadly Manufactroversy.” Skeptic 15.2 (2009): 26+.
General OneFile. Web. 10 Nov. 2010
Harrism, A., et al. “Outbreak of Measles in San Diego CA, January-February 2008 “Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report.” 57.8 (2008): 203-06. Print.
Madsen, Kreesten M., and Mogens Vestergaard. “MMR Vaccination and Autism: What is the evidence
for a causal association?” Current Opinion 27.12 (2004): 831. Academic Onefile. Web. 10 Nov.
2010
Novella, Steven, MD. Neurologica Blog: Your Daily Dose of Neuroscience, Skepticism, and Critical
Thinking. N.p. 22 Nov. 2010. Web. 22 Nov. 2010
“The Vaccine War.” Palfreman, Jon. Frontline. PBS. ETV, Rock Hill SC, 27 Apr. 2010. Web.
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