Perhaps the most naked show of power and most ruthless persecution and character assassination by the Media-Pharma-Government conglomerate of present times, is the case of Dr. Andrew Wakefield.
Introduction:
Dr. Andrew Wakefield was a Gastro-Surgeon and a lead researcher at the Royal Free Hospital at London. Qualified in 1981, he has published more than 140 research papers in various journals. In those days, Crohn's disease or inflammatory bowel disease was unheard of in children. He was looking at babies of 18 months and younger, having inflammatory bowel disease. The gut vasculature was damaged in these kids leading to inflammation in the bowels and Inflammatory bowel disease. He hypothesized that, a virus should have infected these kids from outside and caused the destruction of their gut vasculature. He started to look into various viruses which had propensity to reach guts and cause such a problem. Measles virus stuck him. But some kind of atypical infection was taking place instead of typical infection by a natural measles virus, so he came to a conclusion that Vaccine virus might be the reason. In 1994, he published a study in The Lancet, linking Measles vaccine to Crohn's disease.
Introduction:
Dr. Andrew Wakefield was a Gastro-Surgeon and a lead researcher at the Royal Free Hospital at London. Qualified in 1981, he has published more than 140 research papers in various journals. In those days, Crohn's disease or inflammatory bowel disease was unheard of in children. He was looking at babies of 18 months and younger, having inflammatory bowel disease. The gut vasculature was damaged in these kids leading to inflammation in the bowels and Inflammatory bowel disease. He hypothesized that, a virus should have infected these kids from outside and caused the destruction of their gut vasculature. He started to look into various viruses which had propensity to reach guts and cause such a problem. Measles virus stuck him. But some kind of atypical infection was taking place instead of typical infection by a natural measles virus, so he came to a conclusion that Vaccine virus might be the reason. In 1994, he published a study in The Lancet, linking Measles vaccine to Crohn's disease.
The story took an interesting turn when on May 17, 1995 a mother came to Dr. Wakefield complaining that her son who had Autistic Spectrum Disease was having severe Gastrointestinal problems. In his own words, the lady was 'very articulate' and 'explained in clear terms' that her son had high fever and siezure after receiving MMR vaccine and then he slept. After waking up, the child was not the same anymore. He lost speech, language, communication, interaction with siblings and thus was diagnosed as having ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder). So Dr. Wakefield along formed a team of 12 members to take it up as a case study, after discussing with Professor Walker Smith of Pediatric Gastroenterology, who is considered an authority in pediatrics. In 1998, the study was published in Lancet and the dean holding a press conference, to get publicity for his Medical school and for future research donations.
Original lancet Publication of Dr. Andrew Wakefield (NOTE: now retracted).
The Litigation:
Problem started when Dr. Wakefield entered a litigation in which parents of 8 children out of the 12, who participated in the Lancet study joined other parents in a legal litigation against the manufacturers of MMR, claiming that MMR was responsible for their children's autism. The lawyers representing the litigation contacted Dr. Wakefield for his help, to act as an expert opinion for the legal hearing. Dr. Wakefield accepted.
Framing, Persecuting and Discrediting Dr. Andrew Wakefield:
The problem started right after he accepted to be the expert witness in this legal litigation. Brian Deer, a freelance reporter was selected for the smear campaign. Mr. Deer was a critique of GSK and raised questions about safety of an antibiotic, Septrin. But GSK threatened him with a lawsuit and then both parties reached a deal, after which Mr. Brian Deer started working for GSK. James Murdoch, Media Moghul Rupert Murdoch's son was a Non-executive director of GSK and his duty was to defend GSK in the media and manage its PR. Mr. Brian Deer came up with this insane story that Dr. Wakefield had hidden his conflict of interest regarding the litigation, from the editor of the Lancet. While in reality one year prior to the publishing of the study, it was all over the newspapers that Dr. Wakefield accepted to support the litigants in the court of law and the lawyers of the litigants also provided him with the documents. But the Editor of Lancet was silent before the General Medical Council which was hearing the case against Dr. Wakefield.
Moreover, the funding for Lancet study came from National Health Serives (and not from the lawyers of the said litigation). The payment for Dr. Wakefield to act as a medical expert in the litigation was done by a Legal Aid Board formed by the government. And this payment went to the Hospital, not to Dr. Wakefield. SO, there was no conflict of interest in the first place. This was a compassionate doctor who wanted to help his patients while all other doctors turned them down.
Revoking of Dr. Wakefield's and Dr. Walker Smith's licences on lame reasons:
GMC revoked Dr. Wakefield's license on basically two reasons:
World renowned pediatrician Dr. Walker Smith appealed in English High Court and won the case. The Judge threw out GMC's decision and exonerated Dr. Walker Smith. But Dr. Wakefield did not appeal in a court of law, because according to him, it was not important for him anymore to get his license back, as he had other important things to do. And also Dr. Walker Smith received funding for the court appeal from his insurance but Dr. Wakefield did not.
Comments of the Judge:
Justice John Mitting ruled on the appeal by Walker-Smith, saying that the GMC “panel’s determination cannot stand. I therefore quash it.” He said that its conclusions were based on “inadequate and superficial reasoning and, in a number of instances, a wrong conclusion.” The verdict restores Walker-Smith’s name to the medical register and his reputation to the medical community. This conclusion is not surprising, as the GMC trial had no actual complainants, no harm came to the children who were studied, and parents supported Walker-Smith and Wakefield through the trial, reporting that their children had medically benefited from the treatment they received at the Royal Free Hospital.The Litigation:
Problem started when Dr. Wakefield entered a litigation in which parents of 8 children out of the 12, who participated in the Lancet study joined other parents in a legal litigation against the manufacturers of MMR, claiming that MMR was responsible for their children's autism. The lawyers representing the litigation contacted Dr. Wakefield for his help, to act as an expert opinion for the legal hearing. Dr. Wakefield accepted.
Framing, Persecuting and Discrediting Dr. Andrew Wakefield:
The problem started right after he accepted to be the expert witness in this legal litigation. Brian Deer, a freelance reporter was selected for the smear campaign. Mr. Deer was a critique of GSK and raised questions about safety of an antibiotic, Septrin. But GSK threatened him with a lawsuit and then both parties reached a deal, after which Mr. Brian Deer started working for GSK. James Murdoch, Media Moghul Rupert Murdoch's son was a Non-executive director of GSK and his duty was to defend GSK in the media and manage its PR. Mr. Brian Deer came up with this insane story that Dr. Wakefield had hidden his conflict of interest regarding the litigation, from the editor of the Lancet. While in reality one year prior to the publishing of the study, it was all over the newspapers that Dr. Wakefield accepted to support the litigants in the court of law and the lawyers of the litigants also provided him with the documents. But the Editor of Lancet was silent before the General Medical Council which was hearing the case against Dr. Wakefield.
Moreover, the funding for Lancet study came from National Health Serives (and not from the lawyers of the said litigation). The payment for Dr. Wakefield to act as a medical expert in the litigation was done by a Legal Aid Board formed by the government. And this payment went to the Hospital, not to Dr. Wakefield. SO, there was no conflict of interest in the first place. This was a compassionate doctor who wanted to help his patients while all other doctors turned them down.
Revoking of Dr. Wakefield's and Dr. Walker Smith's licences on lame reasons:
GMC revoked Dr. Wakefield's license on basically two reasons:
- Taking blood samples of healthy children at his son's birthday party, after taking consent from parents and the children. The mistake he made was that he had not taken an approval from the Ethics committee of the hospital. But it does not constitute for unethical behavior. It was a mistake and both parents and children were taken consent.
- Analysis for Biopsy of intestines needed ethics committee approval and it was taken. But the paper was with Brian Deer and he withheld it at the time of GMC hearing.
World renowned pediatrician Dr. Walker Smith appealed in English High Court and won the case. The Judge threw out GMC's decision and exonerated Dr. Walker Smith. But Dr. Wakefield did not appeal in a court of law, because according to him, it was not important for him anymore to get his license back, as he had other important things to do. And also Dr. Walker Smith received funding for the court appeal from his insurance but Dr. Wakefield did not.
Comments of the Judge:
No breaking news or headlines of this exoneration of Dr. Walker Smith, which fundamentally is the exoneration of Dr. Wakefield and their research.
Cochrane Review's Support to Dr. Wakefield:
Reputable 'Cochrane Reviews' which is well known for its reviews of Medical literature had supported Dr. Wakefield's 1998 Lancet publication and in its own words- "The safety studies of MMR vaccine were largely inadequate." Even after revoking of the Lancet publications and the license of Dr. Wakefield, Cochrane review stood by Dr. Wakefield- "CDIG has always taken the view that it is in their own interest that employees of drug companies should not be authors of a Cochrane Review. They would inevitably be at risk of accusations of either bias or disloyalty, whatever the scientific quality of their work. As the witch-hunt over MMR illustrates, the mob goes for the man not the ball."
Dr. David Lewis Supports Dr. Wakefield:
Former Environmental Protection Agency's Senior Scientist, Dr. David Lewis took over the orginal files of the Lancet study and categorically stated that Dr. Wakefield was not involved in any fraud, but the fraud was done by Brian Deer and BMJ. Click here for more.
Dr. Mercola Interviews Dr. Wakefield:
Latest Researches Concurs with the Lancet Study of Dr. Wakefield:
Latest research by UC Davis MIND Institute concludes that there is a link between Autism and Immune system and Gastrointestinal deregulation. Only smart move by UC Davis researchers was that they did not link this immune deregulation to MMR vaccine. But its pretty obvious what the reason for this gut deregulation of immune system in infants. Which virus has more propensity to attack the gut? Measles virus.
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