Anti-vaxxers have existed since Dr. Jenner first determined that inoculating people with cowpox would prevent them from getting smallpox. Their rationale then was that God sent us diseases; therefore we are acting against the will of God to try to prevent those diseases.
The anti-vax movement got a big boost when Wakefield published that “study.”
I do not know why the Lancet accepted that “study” for publication. It was an extremely poorly done study, and did not show anything except a profoundly bad excuse for research. It is questionable how it got through the peer review process. I know; I have read the paper. When papers are retracted, it is standard practice to remove the paper from all electronic forms of the journal. However, that paper was left in place, with a big “RETRACTED” watermark placed across it. No doubt, Lancet wants people to be able to see it, and to know its status.
In addition to doing bad and unethical “research” on kids, Wakefield invented data for publication and had a conflict of interest a mile wide. He was trying to sell a single-disease vaccine for measles in which he had a financial interest. It is difficult to sell parents on getting single-disease vaccines for their children when they can just buy one vaccine for three diseases. Wakefield was also in cahoots with a lawyer, planning to file big lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers, exploiting the parents of autistic children and using the manufactured evidence in that article as “proof” that the MMR vaccine causes autism.
It is tragic that so much money was spent trying to verify an unethical “doctor’s” bogus claim, when that money could have been better spent actually studying autism and trying to determine which genes are involved. The variability of symptoms of those diagnosed on the autism spectrum suggests that several genes contribute to the disorder. It will take time to figure out which genes, and how each one contributes. The better autism can be understood, the better we will be able to treat it.
You have no idea. There are still even Freepers who claim that Wakefield has been vindicated, and they post from a myriad of anti-vaxer blogs like Age of Autism.
It is a scam that will live on for decades, and convincing them with facts is impossible since their minds function like 9/11 Truthers; anyone who says vaccines are safe hasn't "educated themselves" or is part of the conspiracy.
Thanks...Sounds like Wakefield not only deserved to have his medical license revoked but should have been prosecuted for fraud due to the scam he promoted for his own gain.