Some Medical Journal Retracts a Story

[Razor]

The Lancet Doesn't Like What Andrew Wakefield Said Anymore

The Lancet Tuesday, a Medical Journal, retracted a paper that espouses the connection of vaccines and autism.

The Cough*British*Cough medical journal said they have done so because of a ethics ruling against the lead researcher, one Andrew Wakefield.

In 2004 10 of the 13 authors of the paper distanced themselves, issuing a statement that basically said "Hai guys, Don't listen to us in that paper. Wakefield is silly."

Basically what happened is Wakefield went around completely abusing children, including performing colonoscopies and spinal taps for which he did not have ethics board permission. Then he presented his data in a not-so-truthful fashion. He's basically the Millgram of the 90's.

Some people say Wakefield is merely the victim of a witch hunt. A lot of other doctors say his science was shoddy, his methods horribly unethical, and his findings based in nothing more than fantasy.

This thread is for a few questions. One, what do you think about the connection between vaccines and autism? Two, do you believe that there would be an active cover-up via millions of doctors about the evidence? And third, do you think the journal did right to retract the paper? Stake your claim.

 

[Remix]

Oh yeah I remember reading about this guy. He came up with some complete and utter crackpot theory linking the MMR vaccine to autism, and got results that couldnt be repeated by anybody else.

as for the questions, there's no link at all between MMR and autism and there's no reason for there to be. every western society has 'vaccine fears' (in some country it was a preservitive). There's no conspiracy that doctors are hiding evidence linking the MMR vaccine to autism, and yes the paper was right to retract his findings. Since they're bollocks, and highly unethical bollocks at that.

I have (insanely mild) autism and even I don't think that A) MMR caused it and B) that fear of inducing autism is a reasonable excuse not to vaccinate your child. not vaccinating only leads to a resergence of the disease we're trying to protect ourselves from.

Also, may I add that the nationality of the writer and journal is irrelevent. crackpots come up with daft ideas all over the world.

 

[Lee]

Why the fuck does it being British require a *cough* Seriously get your head out your ass you racist.

Now onto topic, I'm glad they've retracted it but it's far too little too late. MMR was essentially eradicated in the UK until the saw called link to Autism was published. Since then these diseases are at their highest since the 40s. That's pretty something. The retraction is far too late, it's been 12 years TWELVE YEARS since the original paper had happened. It's the equivalent to Vince saying he was wrong about the Screwjob today, you have that history over the period that's in peoples minds. How many parents are going to know MMR is now 'safe?'....not as many as think it's not.

 

[HBK-aholic]

The Cough*British*Cough medical journal said they have done so because of a ethics ruling against the lead researcher, one Andrew Wakefield.

Yeah, this was pretty pathetic.

Overall, I don't think there's a connection between the 2. How can the journal be wrong for retracting it? There have been many, many mistakes in science, and more specifically medicine. Something will be published, someone else may decide to check on it, and if they find contrasting results that can also be published - if many people find contrasting results you say, "Hey, that was a mistake". Whether Wakefield did this on purpose to gain media attention and possibly money, who knows, it could have been a genuine mistake. I don't care, as long as the truth is now known and parents still give children the vaccine.

 

[Tastycles]

The Lancet should never have printed it in the first place. Wakefield was working for a company that made individual vaccines for those diseases or something equally vested in his research and it was never peer reviewed. The study was pooranyway - of course autism sufferers had MMR jabs, every fucker does, but that doesn't mean they're related. Every paedophile has taken paracetemol, that doesn't mean it's the cause, does it?

Now that the Lancet has retracted the statement, hopefully the numbers of people taking MMR jabs goes back up. After all, there have been something like 100,000 cases of measels since they printed the story, and that is obviously a good thing. This retraction should have come as soon as the evidence proved otherwise though, not just beacause Wakefield has now been punished.