Study Linking Autism to Vaccine Retracted

Updated 3:48 p.m. EST

A major British medical journal on Tuesday retracted a flawed study linking the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to autism and bowel disease.

The retraction by The Lancet comes a day after a competing medical journal, BMJ, issued an embargoed commentary calling for The Lancet to formally retract the study. The commentary was to have been published on Wednesday.

The BMJ commentary said once the study by British surgeon and medical researcher Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues appeared in 1998 in The Lancet, "the arguments were considered by many to be proven and the ghastly social drama of the demon vaccine took on a life of its own."

Since the controversial paper was published, British parents abandoned the vaccine in droves, leading to a resurgence of measles. Subsequent studies have found no proof that the vaccine is connected to autism, though some parents are still wary of the shot.

Paul Offit, a pediatrician and vaccine expert at the University of Pennsylvania who has long advocated for the value of vaccines, told CBS News' Amy Burkholder that the study "should never have been published" and that the retraction is "too little too late."

Read more about Offit and the controversial vaccine-autism link

He said Lancet editors are responsible for the deaths of children who died as a result of failure to vaccinate.

In Britain, vaccination rates for measles have never recovered and there are outbreaks of the disease every year.

Ten of Wakefield's 13 co-authors renounced the study's conclusions several years ago and The Lancet has previously said it should never have published the research.

"We fully retract this paper from the published record," Lancet editors said in a statement Tuesday.

Last week, Britain's General Medical Council ruled that Wakefield had shown a "callous disregard" for the children used in his study and acted unethically. Wakefield and the two colleagues who have not renounced the study face being stripped of their right to practice medicine in Britain.

For the study, Wakefield took blood samples from children at his son's birthday party, paying them 5 pounds each ($8) for their contributions and later joking about the incident.

Wakefield said in a statement that the "allegations against me and against my colleagues are both unfounded and unjust," but would not agree to be interviewed.

Geraldine Dawson, the chief science officer Autism Speaks, a leading autism organization in the U.S. said, "We are committed to funding science that is rigorous and stands up to independent scrutiny in order to ensure that families and individuals with autism, and practitioners can rely on scientific findings with confidence."

[josephrockhead]

From what I have read, everyone seems to think the mercury based preservative is the culprit? Why not just take that preservative out and replace it with some other preservative? I mean seriously they cleared a school out in Washington DC when some kids spilled mercury from the science room and they called in the HAZMAT team.
How and why would the the knowing addition of any mercury derivative to anything meant to be put in the body be acceptable to anyone? I wouldn't revel in the fact that this study has been retracted.

[cole1993]

So I was listening for... if cases of measles went up... what happened to the cases of autism? Didn't hear that answer. Why not break the vaccination up into separate shots? (Are the drug companies afraid of the answers?) It seems both sides have agendas. I believe in vaccines, but there is a group of kids for some reason who can not take them as other. We are all unique and if we can get over the threat of being sued and looked for the real reasons....
I keep hearing it is a genetic disorder or link...where is the evidence? I have an autistic child age 16 (very mild case) who has a twin of opposite sex who is not. Yes they received all of their vaccinations. 14 years later, I have an unexpected blessing whom has had most vaccines, but they have been separated out. I want to see the data to make an informed decision for my self. I watched a perfectly normal little boy(my first son) change over night. (video footage to back up my story) There is no genetic history of autism in either of our families.

[IPX_Ares]

You should go and put your tinfoil hat back on.

[kdawne]

I have no doubt whatsoever that the author was paid off by a pharmaceutical company to retract his study. I'm sure he made millions. This is way bigger than a single study, parents know all too personally the dangers of vaccines. It's sad that people may now believe the hype and vaccinate their children without thought.

[newsterl]

by Fatesrider February 2, 2010 7:25 PM EST
That's okay... When your kids infects others with a communicable and potentially deadly disease for which a vaccine is available and you refused to get it, you can deal with the lawsuits."


LOL good luck filing a lawsuit there, that's the most ridiculous statement I ever saw.

[rwsmith29456]

Oh BTW. Question. Is this THE article that started the vaccination/autism scare or were there others?

[IPX_Ares]

This is the only article (medical journal style wise), then you just had crazy people like Jenny McCarthy further the negligent article.

[rwsmith29456]

"Prestigious" apparently doesn't mean "perfect".

[endurorob_5]

Petepilot62 February 2, 2010 2:51 PM EST
So what has caused the massive surge of autism? I am not sure that odd blood sampling methods are enough to throw out the conclusion. I for 1 have had all my vaccines and consider Edward Jenner a great man but something is playing havoc with the children in the western industialised, vaccinated, nations. If not vaccines what then?



As many scientists have explained in recent years the increase in autism isn't actually an increase in the condition itself but rather an increase in the ability to detect it and a change in what we consider to be autism.

[lizzielawton]

With all due respect, autism also occurs in non-western, non-industrialized nations. The first children diagnosed with what is now considered autism pre-date vaccines. And, to add to this, children are still being diagnosed with autism even though the offending mercury-based additive has been taken out of vaccines. I am hopeful that once we can finally get beyond the "vaccine causes autism" mess that we can focus on finding out what really does cause autism and not spend valuable time and resources proving to doubters over and over again that it is not vaccines.

[nwowl]

British Publication "bows to pressure" - geez, more like they finally got off their high horses and admitted they made a huge, huge, huge mistake with absolutely horrible consequences. Just another sign that all the so-called "scientific experts" are: 1. not always expert; 2. at times have hidden agendas or are just incompetent; 3. would rather hide the truth than admit a mistake; 4. could care less about the consequences; 5. include scientist who both claim false information as well as hide information.

Should be a wake up call to those so willing to accept all the climate change "consensus" without at least some questioning about motivation, integrity, etc. and without bashing anyone who has the termerity to ask tough questions about climate info. Just ask the U.N. about their so called "expert" report on climate. There may well be climate changes (as opposed to short term weather changes or misreading of data) and it may even be caused or affected by humans, but to blindly accept Al Gore's interpretation does a disservice to everyone. Think its not possible? Anyone remember the "consensus" that silicon breast implants caused cancer/other auto immune diseases?

[theorigprobe]

The Lancet knew years ago that this was a flawed study, but sat on their hands until after the GMC showed they have a spine and called Wakefield what he is. The Lancet is as culpable as Wakefield in those deaths. This is a blight on their reputation, and it should be an indelible stain on their credibility. Furthermore, CBS News should be ashamed of itself for employing Sharyl Atkinsson, a "reporter" who bush whacks vaccine advocates such as Dr. Offit. Her anti-vaccination position is well established. She could cover such controversial subjects as healthy fast food.

[erasmus111]

by Petepilot62 February 2, 2010 2:51 PM EST
So what has caused the massive surge of autism? I am not sure that odd blood sampling methods are enough to throw out the conclusion. I for 1 have had all my vaccines and consider Edward Jenner a great man but something is playing havoc with the children in the western industialised, vaccinated, nations. If not vaccines what then?


It could be ANYTHING. We live in a toxic world. Everything we eat and breath is toxic.

[erasmus111]

"breath" should be "breathe"

[SusanStoHelit]

If you look at the research, you'll see that there isn't a huge surge in autism.

The increase in the number of kids with severe autism matches the DECREASE in the number of kids with mental retardation. These kids simply went from one category to another.

Likewise - those with milder autism spectrum disorders (some of which are so mild as to be diagnosed if a child is merely a little shy) matches the decrease in the number of kids with behavioral problems.

What we have here is a new diagnosis - of course it looks like an increase - some time back we didn't know what this was, and autistic kids were labelled as retarded or a child with behavioral problems, or merely shy!

Combine that with an increase due to the one and only factor that HAS been shown to increase the odds of autism - older parents at conception - and that accounts for it.

It's been a big fun media game - scaring parents is easy and profitable, and the story of an autism explosion really works. But when you look at the actual stats - it's not so convincing.

Once upon a time, we didn't know what cancer was - so people just died, and it was called a heart attack or old age. Then we found out what it was - and suddenly there's this new cause of death with a huge growth rate called cancer! That's what this is.

[Petepilot62]

So what has caused the massive surge of autism? I am not sure that odd blood sampling methods are enough to throw out the conclusion. I for 1 have had all my vaccines and consider Edward Jenner a great man but something is playing havoc with the children in the western industialised, vaccinated, nations. If not vaccines what then?

[IPX_Ares]

Actually I think it is because we the conditions and types of autism have increased at the same rate. Autism covers a lot more areas than it used to as we understand the disease more.

[SusanStoHelit]

It wasn't just odd blood sampling methods - this study was a scam, outright. Wakefield was paid HUGE amounts of money by trial lawyers for it - and boy did they get their money's worth!