Co-Author of Lancet MMR-Autism Study Was Exonerated on All Charges
The MMR Autism Study was the one Andrew Wakefield and twelve colleagues published in 1998, showing a link between the MMR vaccination and bowel disease.
Dr. John Walker-Smith, a co-author of the Autism study, was restored to his well-deserved reputation of high esteem. After he was charged with professional misconduct, he appealed the U.K. General Medical Council’s decision to remove his license for serious professional misconduct. They now overturned the decision. This reversal should raise questions about the entire process charging professional misconduct by Dr. Andrew Jeremy Wakefield, Professor John Angus Walker-Smith and Professor Simon Harry Murch in general.
In 1998, Andrew Wakefield and 12 of his colleagues published a case series in the Lancet. The paper suggested that the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine may predispose children to behavioral regression and pervasive developmental disorder.
On 15th October 2004, charges of serious professional misconduct were brought by the General Medical Council (GMC) against the three authors of the MMR-Autism study, which said the MMR Vaccination is linked to autism and bowel disease. The GMC alleged that the physician-authors did not obtain the necessary ethical clearances. They also state that they had subjected the twelve children in the study to unnecessary medical procedures.
The court’s conclusion:
The GMC’s conclusions were “based on inadequate and superficial reasoning” and that “the finding of serious professional misconduct and the sanction of erasure are both quashed.”
The original Lancet Study said The behavior symptom onset was associated with the MMR vaccination per the parents of the children. Nine of the children were autistic, and all twelve had intestinal abnormalities.
Since John Walker-Smith, co-author, was exonerated, where does Andrew Wakefield stand all these years later? Does that not also lead one to believe he should be restored to high esteem also?
