[NVIC] Wakefield Defends As British Autism Rate Explodes

[Guest guest]

July 9, 2007

National Vaccine Information Center

A young boy on the beach was throwing the washed-up starfish back into

the ocean. A stranger passing by told him not to bother, because it would

not make any difference, there were thousands of beaches and millions of

starfish, and it would not be possible to save all of them. The boy reached

down, picked up a starfish, threw it back into the ocean and said, smiling

softly, " I made a difference for that one! "

NVIC E-news

" Seven academics at Cambridge University, six of them from its renowned

Autism Research Centre, undertook the research by studying children at

local primary schools. Two of the academics, leaders in their field,

privately believe that the surprisingly high figure may be linked to the

use of the controversial MMR vaccine. That view is rejected by the rest of

the team, including its leader, the renowned autism expert, Professor Simon

Baron-Cohen. The team found that one in 58 [british] children has either

autism or a related autistic spectrum disorder. Nationwide, that could be

as many as 210,000 children under 16. The research is significant because

that figure is well above the existing estimate of one in 100, which

specialist bodies such as the National Autistic Society have until now

accepted as correct. It is also significantly more than the previous

highest estimate of one in 86, which was reported in research published

last year in the Lancet. " - Denis , The Observer - UK

" The results of the study, which was purely statistical and did not

examine the possible medical causes of autism, so worried Professor

Baron-Cohen that he contacted health officials in Cambridgeshire. However,

the professor - who is a first cousin of the comedian Sasha Baron-Cohen -

stressed he did not believe the MMR vaccine was behind the apparent

increase. Professor Baron-Cohen said: " As for MMR, at this point one can

conclude that evidence does not support the idea that the MMR causes

autism. " He said he believed a better understanding of autism and

environmental factors such as exposure to chemicals and hormones were more

likely to be behind the recorded increase. " - , The Telegraph

- UK

" As Vaclav Havel once said: " Follow the man who seeks the truth; run from

the man who has found it. " I can't tell you that we know that the MMR

vaccine causes autism. But the Department of Health can tell you with 100

per cent certainty that it doesn't, and they believe that, and that

concerns me greatly....... it's biologically plausible that the MMR vaccine

causes or contributes to the disease in many children, and nothing in the

science so far dissuades me from the continued need to pursue that

question', Wakefield said. 'The trend in autism has gone up sharply in many

countries. It's interesting that that increase coincides in many places

with the introduction of the MMR vaccine. That doesn't make it the cause.

But it's an observation that needs to be explained, because there was

clearly some environmental change at that time that led to growing numbers

of children becoming autistic. It's a legitimate question if MMR is one of

those factors. I fear that it may be..... 'The hypothesis that we have been

pursuing for some years is that the vaccines in some way may interact to

increase the risk of the measles element in the MMR jab damaging the

intestine, and possibly the brain directly, or alternatively that the

intestinal disease leads to secondary immune injury to the developing

brain. " - Wakefield quoted by Denis , The Observer - UK

Barbara Loe Fisher Commentary:

The CDC acknowledges that 1 in 150 children in the U.S. is autistic.

British autism researchers this week confirmed that the rate of autism in

Great Britain has risen to 1 in 58 children. Assuming that the child

populations studied in the U.S. and Brtiain are comparable, it suggests

that autism is either three times more prevalent in Britain than in the

U.S. or that the prevalence of autism among American children is grossly

underestimated.

Although much of the focus about vaccine risks in the U.S. during the past

six years has centered on the mercury preservative, thimerosal, in Britain

the vaccine safety debate has focused on children who have regressed after

receiving MMR vaccine. With so little basic science research into the

biological mechanisms of vaccine injury and death or genetic co- factors,

there are large gaps in scientific knowledge about the way vaccines act

singly or in combination in the human body to cause brain and immune system

dysfunction in young children. It is still too early to conclude that one

vaccine ingredient or one combination of live virus vaccines are solely

responsible for autism increases among children.

With so many unanswered scientific questions about why and how vaccines

cause harm to certain children, all scientific inquiries should be welcomed

and no hypothesis should be dismissed before it is thoroughly explored.

Wakefield is essentially being tried by his peers in Britain for

daring to explore the politically incorrect hypothesis that the MMR vaccine

may be associated with the development of regressive autism in some

children. His refusal and the refusal of two of his colleagues to recant

their scientific findings in order to save their license to practice

medicine should be cherished by all who believe in freedom of thought and

speech.

The spectacle that this British Medical Inquisition is creating for the

world to see will have repercussions far beyond the three martyrs it will

make. The people are not stupid and they will not soon forget that medical

doctors inside and outside of the British government so feared one man's

scientific discovery about vaccination that they felt they had no choice

but to destroy him and anyone who stands with him.

Whatever the avenging vaccinologists in Great Britain do to

Wakefield and his brave colleagues will not wipe away the sickening reality

that one of the most highly vaccinated child populations in the world is

also among the most disabled, with 1 British child in 58 suffering with

autism or autism spectrum disorder.

Dr. Wakefield, Medical Researcher

----------

observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2121521,00.html

Experts 'concerned' by dramatic rise

Questions over triple jab for children

The Observer - UK

July 8, 2007

by Denis , health correspondent

Click here for the URL:

The number of children in Britain with autism is far higher than

previously thought, according to dramatic new evidence by the country's

leading experts in the field.

A study, as yet unpublished, shows that as many as one in 58 children may

have some form of the condition, a lifelong disability that leads to many

sufferers becoming isolated because they have trouble making friends and

often display obsessional behaviour.

Seven academics at Cambridge University, six of them from its renowned

Autism Research Centre, undertook the research by studying children at

local primary schools. Two of the academics, leaders in their field,

privately believe that the surprisingly high figure may be linked to the

use of the controversial MMR vaccine. That view is rejected by the rest of

the team, including its leader, the renowned autism expert, Professor Simon

Baron-Cohen.

The team found that one in 58 children has either autism or a related

autistic spectrum disorder. Nationwide, that could be as many as 210,000

children under 16. The research is significant because that figure is well

above the existing estimate of one in 100, which specialist bodies such as

the National Autistic Society have until now accepted as correct. It is

also significantly more than the previous highest estimate of one in 86,

which was reported in research published last year in the Lancet.

Some experts who previously explained the rise in autism as the result of

better diagnosis and a broader definition of the condition now believe the

upward trend revealed by studies such as this indicates that there has been

a real rise in the numbers of children who are affected by it. Although the

new research is purely statistical and does not examine possible

explanations for the rise, two of the authors believe that the MMR jab,

which babies receive at 12 to 15 months, might be partly to blame. Dr Fiona

and Dr Carol Stott both say it could be a factor in small numbers of

children.

Professor Baron-Cohen, director of the centre and the country's foremost

authority on the condition, said he did not believe there was any link

between the three- in-one vaccination and autism. Genetics, better

recognition of the condition, environmental factors such as chemicals and

children's exposure to hormones in the womb, especially testosterone, were

more likely to be the cause, he commented. 'As for MMR, at this point one

can conclude that evidence does not support the idea that the MMR causes

autism.'

Baron-Cohen and his team studied the incidence of autism and autistic

spectrum disorders among some 12,000 children at primary school in

Cambridgeshire between 2001 and 2004. He was so concerned by the one in 58

figure that last year he proposed informing public health officials in the

county.

Controversy over the MMR jab erupted in 1998 after Dr Wakefield, a

gastroenterologist at the Royal Free Hospital in north London, said he no

longer believed it was safe and might cause autism and inflammatory bowel

disease in children. Many parents panicked and MMR take-up fell

dramatically. More families opted to have their child immunised privately

through three separate injections to avoid the possibility of their immune

system being overloaded by the MMR jab, thus leaving them at greater risk

of infections.

The medical and scientific establishment denied Wakefield's claim,

described research he had co- authored as 'bad science', and sought to

reassure the public, with limited success. Wakefield and two former Royal

Free colleagues are due to appear before the General Medical Council next

week to answer charges relating to the 1998 research. The trio could be

struck off.

The doctors' disciplinary body claims that Wakefield acted 'dishonestly and

'irresponsibly' in dealings with the Lancet, was 'misleading' in the way he

sought research funding from the Legal Aid Board, and 'acted unethically

and abused his position of trust as a medical practitioner' by taking blood

from children after offering them money.

A book to be published this month by Dr Halvorsen, a London GP who

provides single vaccines privately to babies of parents concerned about

MMR, will fuel the controversy. It will present new evidence of children

allegedly being damaged by vaccinations and linking increased autism to MMR.

But Dr Salisbury, national director for vaccines and immunisation at

the Department of Health, said last night: 'The evidence is absolutely

clear. No published study has ever shown a link between autism and the MMR

vaccine. It is absolute nonsense to suggest otherwise.'

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/08/nautism108.xml

New fears over MMR link to autism

The Telegraph - UK

July 8, 2007

by

Click here for the URL:

Fresh fears over a possible link between the measles, mumps and rubella

(MMR) vaccine and autism have been raised after a new study found that

almost double the number of children could have the condition than

previously thought.

Researchers at Cambridge University's Autism Research Centre (ARC) have

estimated that one in 58 children suffer from some form of the disorder,

compared to previous estimates of about one in 100.

The figures mean up to 210,000 children under 16 across the UK could have

some form of autism, the unpublished research by the ARC found.

Two of the seven experts who took part in the study have now privately

voiced concerns that the controversial MMR vaccine may be a factor in the

emergence of autism among some children. Dr Fiona and Dr Carol Stott

have reportedly said they think the jab, given to children between 12 and

15 months, could be responsible for growing numbers of children apparently

exhibiting symptoms of the disorder. However, the other five, including

team leader Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, rejected their view.

Autism is the term given to a wide range of development disorders that

affects an individual's ability to understand the world and communicate

with others. It covers a " spectrum " ranging from severe cases of " classic "

autism - which often renders a child unable to speak - to much milder

Asperger's syndrome, which can affect a person's ability to socialise.

Until the early 1990s experts believed that only four or five people in

10,000 suffered from the condition. Since then studies have shown autism is

much more common, with experts generally agreeing on the one in 100 figure.

Academics agree much of the apparent increase can be explained by the fact

that more people are now aware of what autism is. But there is still a

heated debate about whether or not autism is actually becoming more common

in children.

Last year a study reported in the medical journal The Lancet put forward an

estimate that one in 86 children suffered from some form of autism. The

ARC's paper, based on a study of 12,000 primary school children in

Cambridgeshire between 2001 and 2004, raises the estimate significantly.

The results of the study, which was purely statistical and did not examine

the possible medical causes of autism, so worried Professor Baron-Cohen

that he contacted health officials in Cambridgeshire.

However, the professor - who is a first cousin of the comedian Sasha

Baron-Cohen - stressed he did not believe the MMR vaccine was behind the

apparent increase.

Professor Baron-Cohen said: " As for MMR, at this point one can conclude

that evidence does not support the idea that the MMR causes autism. "

He said he believed a better understanding of autism and environmental

factors such as exposure to chemicals and hormones were more likely to be

behind the recorded increase. Nonetheless, the research is bound to spark

renewed doubts among concerned parents about the safety of the triple vaccine.

The percentage of children being given the jab fell dramatically after

doubts were raised over its safety by Dr Wakefield, a

gastroenterologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Vaccination rates

have only just started to recover.

In 1998 Dr Wakefield co-authored a paper published in The Lancet which

looked at bowel disease in 12 children with autism, and suggested a

possible link with the MMR vaccine. Later he gave a press conference

calling the safety of the vaccine into question and recommending children

should be given the three inoculations separately.

Ten of the 13 academics who contributed towards the paper soon retracted

its conclusions, but Dr Wakefield and two others have stuck by the

'interpretation'. Dr Wakefield is due before a General Medical Council

hearing next week to answer a number of charges in relation to the 1998

study.

The new report has also triggered calls for the Government to do more to

further the understanding of autism and help those with it.

Benet Middleton (OK), director of communications at the National Autistic

Society, said: " There is an urgent need for a clear Government strategy for

responding to autism.

" We need to have an accurate picture of how many people have autism, we

need adequate services in place to support people with autism and we need

those working with people with autism to have the right training.

" Current provision for those with the disability is deeply inadequate given

the scale of the need. Autism is a lifelong disability and when an

individual's needs are not met the long term consequences both financially

and for the individual's well being are profound. "

Ivan Corea, head of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK, said many autistic

people were at the mercy of a " postcode lottery " .

She said: " We are urging Gordon Brown to provide a world class education

for all children with autism and Asperger's Syndrome, to provide new

specialist autism schools, even Special Needs Academies and autism units

equipped with sensory rooms in mainstream primary and secondary schools. "

A spokesman for the Health Protection Agency (HPA) today stressed the MMR

vaccine was safe.

She said: " We have not seen this report, which has not been published yet

and has not been peer reviewed, so we cannot comment on it. Every test that

has tried to find a link between MMR and autism has not found one. MMR is a

safe vaccine. "

www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/story/0,,2121528,00.html

I told the truth all along, says doctor at heart of autism row

In his only interview before he appears in front of the General Medical

Council to face serious charges of malpractice, the campaigner against the

MMR vaccine tells Denis that he has no regrets

The Observer - UK

Sunday July 8, 2007

by Denis

Click here for the URL:

Flicking through some paperwork in an Italian restaurant in central

London, Wakefield cuts an anonymous figure. Tall, wearing a deep

green polo shirt, chinos and outdoor jacket against the rain, he could be

an accountant checking figures. It is unlikely that the other mid-afternoon

diners recognise a man who sparked one of the great public health

controversies.

Wakefield is a hugely divisive figure. Nine years ago he claimed that the

measles mumps rubella vaccine, or MMR, given to every baby in the country

at 12-15 months, may cause autism. To many in the medical and political

establishment he is a misguided, dangerous propagandist whose claims have

caused unnecessary alarm among millions of parents and risked outbreaks of

three diseases that remain potential killers. Some critics describe him as

a crank, a publicity-lover, a peddler of spin, hype and pseudo- science. He

has been attacked by the Chief Medical Officer, the then Health Secretary

and Tony Blair.

Forced to leave Britain to practise in America because of the furore,

Wakefield is now back. And unrepentant. Time, and the condemnation he

faced, have deepened his suspicions about MMR. For the last few weeks he

has spent long hours every day with his lawyers finalising evidence he will

give when he appears next week before the General Medical Council, the body

which investigates alleged malpractice by doctors. He is facing a long list

of serious charges relating to research he co-authored in 1998 that

triggered the huge public uncertainty about MMR that endures today.

To supporters, Wakefield is a hero, a lone crusader for truth and a

principled, caring doctor challenging a policy that is harming significant

numbers of children. Some scientists, a handful of doctors and parents of

sons and daughters they claim have been damaged by the triple vaccine see

him as the victim of a Department of Health-led plot to discredit him, and

the GMC hearing as a show trial designed to suppress an uncomfortable

truth. Wakefield, talking to The Observer in his only interview before the

hearing, says he plans to defend himself vigorously against allegations he

sees as ill-conceived and malicious. 'I've done what I've done because my

motivation is the suffering of children I've seen and the determination of

devoted, articulate, rational parents to find out why part of them has been

destroyed, why their child has been ruined. Why would I go through this

process of professional isolation if it was simply to do with egomania? My

alleged egomania doesn't explain things very well. There's been no upside

for me in having pursued this issue. It's been very difficult.

'As Vaclav Havel once said: " Follow the man who seeks the truth; run from

the man who has found it. " I can't tell you that we know that the MMR

vaccine causes autism. But the Department of Health can tell you with 100

per cent certainty that it doesn't, and they believe that, and that

concerns me greatly.'

The MMR controversy began on 26 February, 1998 when a group of doctors at

the Royal Free Hospital in north London, including Wakefield, held a press

conference to publicise a research paper they had just published in the

medical journal The Lancet.

Journalists asked about the authors' main claim to have discovered, in a

study of 12 children, a new form of inflammatory bowel disease, which they

linked to the MMR vaccine. The doctors outlined their theory that in some

children the combination vaccine damaged the immune system because they

could not cope with simultaneously receiving a tiny dose of three separate

diseases, leaving them susceptible to illness.

The five doctors were asked if, given the findings, parents should continue

having their children vaccinated with the three-in-one jab. Roy Pounder,

professor of medicine at the Royal Free, passed the question to Wakefield.

The gastro-enterologist replied that the potential link between gut

disorders, autism and MMR vaccination could no longer be ignored. 'It's a

moral issue, and I can't support the continued use of these three vaccines

given in combination until this issue has been resolved,' he said.

Several co-authors disagreed, as did the Department of Health, which was

furious. But, fuelled by huge publicity, Wakefield's remarks led to large

numbers of parents then, since and today enduring anxious hours wondering

what to do: follow the NHS advice and get their babies the MMR jab or opt

for single vaccines - argued by some to be safer - privately instead.

MMR safety will be back in the news on 16 July when the GMC Fitness to

Practise Panel begins disciplinary proceedings against Wakefield and two of

his Lancet co-authors, Professor - and Professor Simon

Murch. The charges of serious professional misconduct in the way they

conducted the disputed study are very grave. If upheld, all face being

struck off.

They include allegations that the three undertook research with the 12

children without proper approval from the Royal Free's ethics committee,

failed to conduct their study along the lines they had sought ethical

approval for, and did not treat their young patients in accordance with the

ethical approval given. The trio are accused of carrying out procedures on

children in the study, such as lumbar punctures and colonoscopies, that

were not in the best interests of the health of some seriously ill young

people.

According to the charge papers, the GMC will also hear claims that

Wakefield and - 'acted dishonestly and irresponsibly' in failing

to tell The Lancet how they had recruited the patients, and that the pair

also acted irresponsibly when they gave one child 'a purportedly

therapeutic substance for experimental reasons prior to obtaining

information about the safety of the substance'.

Wakefield himself is further accused of being 'dishonest and misleading'

when he obtained research funds from the Legal Aid Board, of ordering

investigations to be carried out on some children even though he did not

have the paediatric qualifications to do so, and that he took blood from

children at a birthday party to use for research purposes after offering

them money.

Wakefield explains that legal advice and his desire not to turn the GMC

panel against him, mean he is unable to respond directly to the

allegations. But friends say that he views the GMC hearing as part of a

long-running 'Stalinist' campaign to ruin his reputation. He and his

co-accused deny all the claims.

Wakefield told The Observer that he has no regrets for saying what he did

in 1998 nor for continuing to seek to prove his view of MMR as the

likeliest explanation for the rise in cases of autism in Britain. Almost

every child health expert, though, regards the jab as hugely beneficial to

public health and rules out any connection between it and autism.

'My concern is that it's biologically plausible that the MMR vaccine causes

or contributes to the disease in many children, and that nothing in the

science so far dissuades me from the continued need to pursue that

question', Wakefield said. 'The trend in autism has gone up sharply in many

countries. It's interesting that that increase coincides in many places

with the introduction of the MMR vaccine. That doesn't make it the cause.

But it's an observation that needs to be explained, because there was

clearly some environmental change at that time that led to growing numbers

of children becoming autistic. It's a legitimate question if MMR is one of

those factors. I fear that it may be.'

His notoriety means he is effectively an exile in America, where he is now

the executive director of research at Thoughtful House, a non-profit-making

school and clinic in Austin, Texas, which treats children with autism from

all over the world.

'The hypothesis that we have been pursuing for some years is that the

vaccines in some way may interact to increase the risk of the measles

element in the MMR jab damaging the intestine, and possibly the brain

directly, or alternatively that the intestinal disease leads to secondary

immune injury to the developing brain.'

As the Havel quote suggests, Wakefield sees himself as a dogged seeker

after a disturbing truth. He compares himself to the small band of doctors

who, soon after Aids emerged in the Eighties, pinpointed a previously

unknown virus (HIV) as the cause, only for their theory to take years to

become established.

'In the Thatcher-Reagan era, Aids was originally seen as something

politically unacceptable, as an act of God or a gay plague - as anything

but our problem. People were stigmatised,' he said. 'We are looking at

something with autism which is similarly politically unacceptable. That is,

how could one of medicine's modern miracles possibly be associated with

damage to children? Because if it's shown to be linked, then it becomes

less of a miracle and more of a potential scandal.' He believes that the

Department of Health introduced MMR into the UK in 1988 to save money and

that he has been persecuted for daring to take on powerful political and

drug industry interests.

Professor Elliman, of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital in

London, is one of Wakefield's chief critics. In his view a growing public

distrust of health professionals, caused by a series of medical scandals,

has helped create a climate in which Wakefield is seen by some as a

taking on the Goliath of a medical establishment.

'Some people are susceptible to conspiracy theories,' he said. 'Media

coverage of the MMR row, which gave both sides equal say, gave the public

the misleading impression that Wakefield represented a significant body of

opinion. Yet there isn't a 50-50 split on this. It's 99.9 per cent to point

one [of a per cent].'

The science author and broadcaster Vivienne Parry, a member of the

government's independent advisory panel, the Joint Committee on Vaccination

and Immunisation, speaks for the large majority of scientific and medical

opinion when she says: 'I think Wakefield is wrong about MMR. He has caused

great alarm and distress. But the demonisation of him has made some people

think he's being hounded by a vengeful establishment, which has given him a

certain amount of credibility with those who believe that all mavericks are

right.'

Autism baffles science. Unlike diseases - and autism is a neurological

condition, not a disease - few experts would claim to know exactly what

causes it, much less treat it. Some blame genetic factors, others put the

increase in those classed as being autistic down to better diagnosis, and

others believe MMR is responsible.

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, co-director of the Autism Research Centre at

Cambridge University, is the UK's leading expert on the lifelong, so far

incurable, condition, which is estimated to affect 588,000 people, about

one in 100 Britons. But even he is not precise: 'The main causes of autism

are likely to be genetic, though interacting with some as yet unknown

environmental factors.'

The National Autistic Society is similarly vague. 'The causes of autism are

still being investigated. Many experts believe that the pattern of

behaviour from which autism is diagnosed may not result from a single

cause,' it has said in a statement. Sufferers have trouble forming

relationships, encounter difficulties in communicating in verbal or written

form, and often develop obsessional interests.

Interestingly, the charity does not adhere to the medical consensus which

categorically rejects any link between MMR and autism. 'The NAS is keenly

aware of the understandable concerns of parents surrounding suggested links

between autism and the MMR vaccine,' says a spokeswoman.

Experts disagree on whether reported increases in the number of children

with autism in the UK and elsewhere represent 'real' rises or better

diagnosis. Wakefield is now a key figure in a growing world network of

organisations, medical professionals, treatment centres, activist groups

and campaigning parents which insists the rise is real and that the triple

jab is the reason.

Pressure is building for fresh studies of possible links and in-depth

examination of children apparently adversely affected by vaccines. The US

Court of Federal Claims recently began hearing a case which could lead to

compensation being paid to 4,800 families who have filed lawsuits claiming

that their children ended up suffering from autism, inflammatory bowel

disease, glaucoma and epilepsy after receiving the MMR jab and other

childhood vaccinations.

Critics point out that the US court case is not about the MMR vaccine

itself but centres on the use of a preservative called thimerosal, which

contains 50 per cent mercury and until a few years ago was added to routine

vaccinations given to children in the US under one. Crucially, it has never

been an element of the MMR vaccine here.

In Japan the MMR jab became mandatory in 1989, but was withdrawn in 1993

after doctors warned of side-effects. There were more than 2,000 claims

that it triggered reactions such as meningitis and encephalitis, an

inflammation of the brain, and even caused deaths. Families of children who

had died received £80,000 each in damages.

'America is like the UK in that many children are affected by autism, but

over there there's a powerful drive to get to the truth, an inherent

mistrust of the healthcare bureaucracy, and a can-do attitude among

intelligent and articulate parents,' says Wakefield. He predicts that 'the

truth' about MMR will eventually come from America, not the UK.

Before Wakefield's warning, 91.5 per cent of children in England had the

MMR jab by the time they turned two. After he hit the headlines

immunisation rates fell to 87.4 per cent. Public distrust in the vaccine

was enhanced when Tony Blair refused to say whether his son Leo had had the

jab and rumours swirled that the Blairs had travelled to France to have the

single jabs privately. The vaccination rate subsequently fell to 79.9 per

cent. The World Health Organisation says 95 per cent is necessary to ensure

what medical experts call 'herd immunity' - that enough children have had

MMR to ensure that they neither get the three illnesses nor pass them on to

others.

Dr Natasha Crowcroft, a childhood immunisation expert at the Health

Protection Agency, said: 'There have been outbreaks of measles in places

like nurseries. The fear is that children who weren't vaccinated following

Wakefield's comments are now approaching secondary school age and may well

get measles, for example on holiday in Thailand or even in Italy, where

it's common.'

MMR's defenders admit that significant numbers of parents are still

apprehensive. 'Confidence was shaken,' concedes Crowcroft. But parental

fear seems to be gradually subsiding. MMR uptake has been increasing since

2003; by last year 84.1 per cent of two year olds in England had had it.

Gordon Brown last year said that his son, , two had the triple jab and

made clear he saw it as a matter of parents' responsibility to ensure their

child was covered.

Although Wakefield will be on trial at the GMC, the hearing could prove

uncomfortable for those that make decisions about health. An editorial in

the New Scientist magazine has expressed alarm over the implications of the

GMC's action for health professionals' freedom to raise questions about

possible safety flaws. 'The notion that he should have kept quiet is

ludicrous: there are too many cases where doctors' concerns have proved

correct, such as their fears over the impact of antidepressant drugs on

children.'

MMR's defenders do not pretend it is always 100 per cent safe. JCVI member

Vivienne Parry admits: 'There's a risk with all vaccines. It's a very small

risk. No one has ever said that the MMR vaccine, or any vaccine, is

completely without side-effects. But as a society we have to decide whether

the benefits outweight the risks. If we had measles, it would kill lots of

children. If you have a vaccine, it will damage some children, but a very

small number.' Parry believes the near-disappearance of measles, mumps and

rubella in recent times means they no longer hold any horror for most

people, and that helps explain the questioning attitude to MMR.

In the Italian restaurant, Wakefield fires a parting shot before another

meeting with his lawyers. 'I'm determined to continue to do this work,

regardless of the personal cost. It has to be done. Because the parents of

these children deserve an answer, and their children deserve help and they

can be helped', he says. 'My colleagues and I won't be deflected by the

interests of public health policymakers and pharmaceuticals. I want to help

children with autism; they are my motivation. If the work ultimately

exonerates the vaccines, that's fine. If not, we need to think again.'

Nine years of controversy

February 1998 Dr Wakefield publishes research in the Lancet

proposing, for the first time, that there may be a link between the MMR

vaccine and autism.

March 1998 A Medical Research Council panel of experts concludes there is

'no evidence to indicate any link' between the MMR vaccine and autism in

children.

April 1998 Finnish scientist finds after a 14-year study that the MMR jab

is not dangerous.

February 2001 Analysis published on the British Medical Journal website

concludes that the MMR jab is not responsible for the increased rates of

autism in recent years.

February 2004 The Lancet says it should never have published the research

by Wakefield. He had 'a fatal conflict of interest' because he was also

carrying out a second, separate study into whether parents of children

allegedly damaged by the MMR vaccine might have grounds to take legal action.

March 2006 A 13-year-old boy who had not been given the MMR jab becomes the

first person in Britain for 14 years to die of measles.

*************************************************************

National Vaccine Information Center

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Learn more about vaccines, diseases and how to protect your informed

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Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath

Vaccination Information & Choice Network, Nevada City CA & Wales UK

Vaccines - http://www.wellwithin1.com/vaccine.htm