Can Dr. Wakefield Admit He Was Wrong?
February 12, 2007 by Kristina Chew, PhD
Filed under Health
The February 12th Times Online contains a thoughtfully written critique by Anjana Ahuja about the Autism is Treatable! Biomedical Conference that was held on February 10th in Bournemouth, England, at which Dr. Andrew Wakefield—the primary author of the first paper suggesting an MMR-autism link (a paper that has since been retracted by the journal that published it)—appeared after “a spell of purgatory in the US.” Writes Anjana about those who say they are “in favour of biomedical intervention for autism”—-and, in effect, are “advocates for biomedical experimentation on children with autism”:
There is nothing wrong with a scientist pursuing a hunch, and everything right about parents wanting to do the best for their child. There is nothing even particularly sinister about Dr Wakefield gambling his reputation on an instinct. But there is something depressing beyond belief about a scientist who refuses to recant in the face of overwhelming opposing evidence.
Dr Wakefield claims to hold the interests of autistic children and their parents above all, and has been lauded simply for listening. But showing compassion and respect to those affected by autism is also about being brave enough to admit you were wrong, and not using the fears and hopes of vulnerable parents to push your own agenda.
Over these past 9 1/2 years of raising my son Charlie, Jim and I have tried a lot of things—a lot of therapies and treatment protocols and practitioners (including some whose specialty was, yes, “alternative” medicine), bought too many books and supplements and read too many websites and been outspoken in ways I think rather foolish now. In trying so hard to do right by Charlie, to help him, we have made the inevitable mistakes and, even if hindsight leaves me feeling a bit ridiculous, I have been the stronger for admitting this.
So can Dr. Wakefield be “brave enough to admit” that he is “wrong”?
Go here to read Has this doctor been misjudged?: Dr Andrew Wakefield ought to admit that he was wrong.
Except that two further studies came to the same conclusion.
There is absolutely NO credible evidence that vaccination of any sort causes autism. None whatsoever.
Unfortunately, it would appear that this is a matter of “follow the money”. As a chief proponent of a view that is not “mainstream” and is “sticking it to the man” (big Pharma, established medicine, the government in black helicopters, whoever) Wakefield stands to make big bucks from consulting fees, speakers fees, etc.
To admit he was wrong diminishes himself to just one of a crowd searching for answers, and takes away his money train.
Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt. At some point, and at some level, he probably has come to believe he is right. Because to believe otherwise means he loses everything he’s worked for, in terms of fame and fortune.
Unfortunately there’s a lot of unsuspecting parents brought along for the ride.
i agree with dr wakefield but its not necessarily the mmr jab, its the dtp. has anyone considered the thimerasol ingredient? ill tell you what it is. its mercury and it causes brain damage and in some cases death, look it up in the search engine ”thimerasol” and see for yourself
Sarah, thimerosal was removed from pediatric vaccines over five years ago. Not an issue.
If you have actual evidence that thimerosal causes death, please present it. I would suggest you ignore “google” and use the http://www.pubmed.gov search feature. This takes you to published papers, not sites of folks trying sell bogus cures (like the one that killed Tariq Nadama).
Wakefield was paid to find something wrong with the MMR, not thimerosal. Plus he used falsified data in his paper, which has been retracted.
Why should you agree with him? Who has replicated his studies?
HCN,
Thimerosal was never removed from pediatric vaccines. The last pediatric vaccine other then the flu vaccine that contained Thimerosal had a shelf life until 2003, so the earliest that children vaccinated with those vaccines would have been last year. Children exposed to Thimerosal from flu shots may be diagnosed for years to come, so it is still an issue.
Tariq Nadama died from medical mistakes. You can also find many studies of pharmaceuticals approved in http://www.pubmed.gov that have killed more people. I would term death as a bogus cure, wouldn’t you?
Oh, spare me. My (autistic) child does not get flu shots, nor do most kids I know. They are secondary and not required by the State. One simply says “no thanks.” I’ve never had a doctor push me to get a flu shot. This is getting completely ridiculous. What is this about “death as a bogus cure?” What is that supposed to mean? I am desperately sorry for all the children out there whose parents would rather see them dead than autistic. They will read their parents’ writings someday (don’t think they won’t find every single last thing about them on the internet and elsewhere; that’s what people do) and understand what they were worth to their parents.
Wakefield did not commit fraud with thimerosal research. He was paid to find fault with the MMR vaccine. The MMR vaccine never had thimerosal.
Tariq did not die from a simple error. He was given an IV-PUSH of the only chelator chemical Roy Kerry used. If you have evidence that Roy Kerry stocked anything but what he used to kill Tariq, please present it.
I think it’s an over-generalization to say that Tariq Nadama died from “medical mistakes” —– we need to examine the premises and assumptions that led his parents to choose that “treatment” in the first place.
Kerry did not use anything but EDTA. From http://www.casewatch.org/board/med/kerry/complaint.shtml :
71. Respondent admitted to using Disodium EDTA to chelate Tariq.
72. Respondent stated to Investigator Reiser that Disodiun EDTA is the only formula of EDTA he stocks in his office.
73. Respondent admitted that CaNa2EDTA is available but that he has never used this agent.
74. Respondent admits that he used the TV push because he did not believe that Tariq would be able to remain still and tolerate the one and 1/2 hours it takes to have the IV drip complete and therefore he administered the drug via IV push.
I have never argued that Roy Kerry wasn’t inept. I whole heartily stand behind that statement. I also agree that with Kristina that knowing why the parents choose that doctor and that treatment would shed more light on this discussion then anything else.
Just an FYI
Where I live all licensed day-care providers are required to make sure all children have all their vaccines up to date and include the influenza vaccine as part of their licensing requirements. A simple “no thank you” will leave that parent and child sitting outside their doors.
I have three children and all of them have been vacinated only one has autism. All o her cousins have been vacinated and none of them hae autism. We have friends that have never vacinated their children and they are always sick. My dughter has asthma and has had pnemonia three times in one year because of it. I do not believe that vaccines or mercury cause autism but even so it seems the risk of not vaccinating is greater than having them.
Julie,
Why hasn’t your daughter had the pneumonia vaccine?
Last years flu vaccine was no better then placebo. The chicken pox vaccine has increased the odds for the unvaccinated of getting shingles and is ineffective. These two vaccines only provide a false sense of security and are medically unreliable. Many vaccines are effective, others are junk.
Maybe we expect too much from vaccines—-
My family hasn’t been healthier since the day we stopped using vaccines and started to take care of ourselves. All of the major sicknesses in our house (diagnosed influenza and chicken pox that subsequently caused Shingles) we had been vaccinated against. When will the CDC really admit the true effectiveness, or lack thereof, of vaccines?
Along the lines of the original post, on why it might be hard for anyone to admit that a possible error has been made, esp. in proportion to the strength of the original assertions.
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me)
We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts
by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
Harcourt, 2007
Review by Daniele Procida on Jul 31st 2007
Volume: 11, Number: 31
http://mentalhelp.net/books/books.php?type=de&id=3761