Was Wakefield's study discredited?

[afterthree]

The Wikipedia page seems to say that the study was pulled and the science was discredited, but I've seen on mumsnet people saying that the science still stands.

I'm curious because of family history of autoimmune disorders and intolerances, so I'd really like to know whether the science still stands or not.

I'm not 100 % sure I'm afraid as I purposely avoided it when I was feeling similar to yourself and chose to look at the risks/benefits elsewhere as there was so much hysteria surrounding him and over just one vaccine

But I *think - he was struck off for unethical practice

Rather than for his research iyswim

And that his research has been questioned/discredited due to his unethical practice, but replicated in a few other studies since - and also not replicated in a few more (confusing!)

I think (hearsay from being on forums) that all he actually said was we need further research into the MMR or something to that effect because there were vaccine strain measles found in autistic children's guts.

I believe it's now scientifically accepted that there's a gut/autism and an immune system/autism link and sadly I think we'd be further on understanding that in autism if Wakefield had conducted himself ethically. Science hasn't yet proven a vaccine/autism link afaik

"The Wikipedia page seems to say that the study was pulled and the science was discredited, but I've seen on mumsnet people saying that the science still stands."

Yes it was. His research was never replicated by any researchers or institutions with any professional credibility.

"Science hasn't yet proven a vaccine/autism link afaik"

Science has, in fact, proved that there isn't such a link.

Yes it was, and as far as I can remember, he was taken off the medical register.

"Science has, in fact, proved that there isn't such a link."

I thought you couldn't prove a negative?

Remind us, bumbleymummy- what side of the debate are you on?

Dodging the question there Hak?

At the GMC trial, th editor of the Lancet, who had withdrawn the paper previously, said that the paper was good science, whose conclusions still stood.

Please do remember that the paper did not conclude that MMR caused/triggered autism.

The paper was looking at a different subject entirely - autistic enterocolitis.

The doctors working with Wakefield (in particular Prof John Walker Smith) who were the ones who actually carried out the so-called unethical investigations on the children concerned, have either not been struck off, or have had their professional reputations restored.

It is worth looking at in detail, including reading, with an open mind, the transcripts of the GMC trial.

The main problem is that what Wakefield et al described in the paper, and what was said at the infamous press conference has been blown out of all proportion by certain parts of the media. Most of what is attributed to Wakefield was never said by him.

Wakefield aside (and like him or loathe him all he really said was that we needed more investigation. Never at any point did he say the cause of autism was the MMR) Most parents will tell you that a disproportionate amount of autistic children have gut issues. I simply don't know whether the mmr somehow interacts with this and causes some children to experience an autistic regression. I have read widely on the subject but still I don't know. Even if Wakefield was correct, he was talking about a small subset of autistic children; something like 7-10% so significantly low enough for the overwhelming majority of children not to miss vital vaccinations. However, I would advise all parents to look at their own individual child. Statistics wont comfort you if your child is that one in a million. If you have a strong family history if autoimmune conditions and get issues then I would advice 3 things:

1. space out all vacs. Have the first lot on time (evidence shows it's rare to react to first set) but wait 6-8wks instead of 4 for the others.
2. Have a single measles jab at 14mths and give a follow up mmr at 2.5/3yrs. They will be protected from measles as early as other children and they're unlikely to catch either mumps or rubella before the booster. Even if they do, both are almost always harmless at that age. Chickenpox is more dangerous than mumps yet we allow our children to catch it readily.
3. keep your child's gut as healthy as possibly off the first year to 18mths. Kept them gluten and cows milk free as much as possible. Gluten can be like poison for children who are predisposed to gut issues. I was given this advice by a well qualified retired paediatrician who said he didn't necessarily believe Wakefield's evidence but wasn't sure he was entirely off the wall either.

Probably worth also taking this research into account
www.lifesitenews.com/news/new-study-disproves-mmr-autism-link-not-so-fast-pro-life-vaccine-expert

Interesting info from a scientist who seems to have previously been well regarded before clearly making the mistake of raising concerns about a vaccine.

I'm not sure where to go with that link because I find it interesting - but I thought Japan had banned the MMR? Afaik Japan does singles although does them all at the same time or at least very close together... But still has seen similar increase in autism rates. Happy to be corrected if I'm wrong on this.

At the GMC trial, th editor of the Lancet, who had withdrawn the paper previously, said that the paper was good science, whose conclusions still stood.

No he didn't at all. That was a fantasy of Martin Walker

the transcripts of the gmc trial are here
*
The doctors working with Wakefield (in particular Prof John Walker Smith) who were the ones who actually carried out the so-called unethical investigations on the children concerned, have either not been struck off, or have had their professional reputations restored. *

That's because the pleaded that they were actually only doing what AW told them to do and did not know about his dishonesty over the papers.

The AAP have kindly put together a list of all the research on vaccine safety and autism here