Scientists retract study suggesting vaccine and autism link

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Scientists retract study suggesting vaccine, autism link Last Updated Wed, 03 Mar 2004 20:01:53 LONDON - The majority of researchers who wrote a study that fuelled fears a childhood vaccination was possibly linked to autism have renounced that interpretation.

Ten of the study's 13 authors have signed a retraction to the journal The Lancet, which published the paper in 1998. INDEPTH: Vaccination

The findings undermined public confidence in the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and vaccination rates dropped sharply in Britain.

"We wish to make it clear that in this paper no causal link was established between MMR vaccine and autism, as the data were insufficient. However, the possibility of such a link was raised," wrote the group, led by Simon Murch of Britain's Centre for Pediatric Gastroenterology. "Consequent events have had major implications for public health. In view of this, we consider now is the appropriate time that we should together formally retract the interpretation placed on these findings in the paper."

Rigorous scientific studies have since disproved the hypothesis. The original article looked at gastrointestinal lesions in 12 British children with autism about eight years after they were vaccinated. The authors, led by gastroenterologist Dr. Andrew Wakefield, suggested the MMR vaccine could be putting children at risk of developing autism and inflammatory bowel disease. Wakefield and another investigator, Peter Harvey, did not sign the retraction. Team member John Linnell could not be contacted by the 10 who signed.

Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, said the journal hopes to publish responses from Wakefield and Harvey shortly. On Feb. 23, the journal's editors posted an online statement saying Wakefield was being paid by lawyers for parents who allege their children were harmed by the immunization.

Horton said if editors had known of the conflict of interest at the time, the journal would not have published the study. Wakefield's statement of Feb. 23 said he was unaware of the legal status of the children for both studies. Wakefield also wrote he stands by the findings as reported.

Written by CBC News Online staff
H e a d l i n e s : S c i - t e c h

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