Everyone has heard the infamous claim that vaccines cause autism. Millions around the world have taken this as an excuse to not vaccinate their children, resulting in serious preventable childhood diseases making a resurgence and the elimination of herd immunity. Andrew Wakefield, the man behind the myth, has affected millions of lives with this irrational claim. His research methods were not only questionable but also completely erroneous with his use of small sample sizes that were carefully selected. Looking at his conducted studies discussed in this article, Wakefield used a group of 12 carefully selected children that had shown signs of both serious enterocolitis and regressive developmental disorders. The cohort was found at Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine and each of the children had parents who claimed the Measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine (MMR) caused their children’s developmental disorders. Using this assumption, Wakefield decided to make the connection between the MMR vaccine and autism by claiming the gastrointestinal diseases the children suffered from were caused by the “environmental triggers” of receiving the vaccine. Not only is this assumption not founded on any kind of science, but it has been disproven by many other medical professionals.
Soon after Wakefield’s paper was published, epidemiological studies were conducted to refute the link between the MMR vaccine and autism, as seen in this article. Not only were his results unable to be verified, but there were also financial benefits for Wakefield with the publishing of his paper. According to this article, the Lancet soon admitted that Wakefield had been funded by lawyers who helped parents sue vaccine companies. As a result, Wakefield’s research was redacted in the Lancet and his medical license has been revoked. Embarrassing for sure, but his claims continue to be relevant for a large amount of people.
Unfortunately, Wakefield’s discrediting has not been acknowledged by many people around the world. In the United Kingdom, there was a measles outbreak in 2008 that was accredited to the fewer amounts of children being vaccinated due to Wakefield’s claims. Additionally, autism advocacy groups around the world have refused to consider the retraction and continue to blindly support Wakefield. There are varying opinions on the MMR vaccine, with many people unsure about the science behind the vaccine. Distrust in vaccination production companies continues to fuel the anti-vaccination movement, with a large population of non-immunizers not realizing both how severe measles is and the effectiveness of the MMR vaccine according to Brieger. General public knowledge is crucial in determining opinions on vaccines, so efforts should be made to explain the process of vaccines more effectively. With more and more cases of preventable viral infections emerging every day, one must consider if giving a child a severe disease is more ethical than giving them a harmless vaccine.
Megan's Microbiology 