Ban For Doctor Who Set-Off Autism Scare

by Ana Zovko 1 comments

The doctor whose false claims that childhood vaccines cause autism has been banned from practicing medicine in Britain. According to yesterday’s article published in The New York Times, Andrew Wakefield was sanctioned by Britain’s Medical Council after the longest investigation in its history.

Over a decade ago, Dr. Wakefield made claims that a childhood vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella causes autism. His claims were published in The Lancet, which retracted the study after lengthy investigations made by the medical council in London. According to the NYT article, the medical council concluded that Dr. Wakefield “had been dishonest” and violated ethical rules.

The false link between autism and the vaccine has contributed to a dangerous rise in measles cases in countries where the vaccine was in use before the scare.

NPF has educated journalists on the complexities of what is known, and what is not known, about autism and the autism spectrum. Resources from our 2007 program are available here. This program was underwritten by the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation.

Photo courtesy of stevendepolo.