Petition for Wakefield: Who do you believe?
A week ago I asked,
Who do you believe? What do you believe? If you know some theory about autism, some “new treatment,” some educational program, is “supported by science” are you more likely to believe it; to trust it; to put your dollars, time, heart and soul into it? [in Myth, Science, and a Trial: Vaccines and Autism]
When the “who” in question is Dr. Andrew Wakefield, the doctor who authored the 1998 study in The Lancet that found a link between the MMR vaccine and bowel disease in autistic children, and who faces a disciplinary hearing before the General Medical Council, which regulates the medical profession in the UK, it seems that (as of right now, 5.17pm on the 7th of July, 2007, EST here in New Jersey), 7,054 people believe that he is right: As of this moment, there are 7,054 signatures on The Nigel Thomas Petition, which notes that it is time to “STOP THE DECEIT: START THE TREATMENT.” A July 7th article in the Sunday Herald provides details of the charges brought against Wakefield, as well as against two of his former colleagues at the Royal Free Hospital in London, Professor John Walker-Smith and Professor Simon Murch.
Here are the charges, as noted in Sunday Herald:
The allegations include that they undertook research between 1996-8 without proper ethical approval. They are also accused of allowing investigations such as colonoscopies and lumbar punctures to be carried out on children, against the patients’ interests.
Wakefield and Walker-Smith are said to have acted “dishonestly and irresponsibly” by failing to disclose in the Lancet study the method by which they recruited patients for the research, which it is claimed resulted in misleading information in the paper. They also face charges relating to giving a treatment - which is not identified by the GMC - to a child for experimental reasons, without checking its safety first. Murch faces no such charges.
Wakefield alone faces several other charges. It is alleged he was involved in advising solicitors acting for people alleged to have been harmed by the MMR vaccine and failed to disclose to the hospital ethics committee that he had received funding from the Legal Aid Board for the study. It is alleged that he ordered investigations on some children without having relevant paediatric qualifications.
He is also charged with failing to disclose his involvement in MMR litigation to the editor of The Lancet. And he is accused of acting unethically and abusing his position of trust by taking blood from children at a birthday party to use for research purposes.
Wakefield, Walker-Smith, and Murch have all since left the Royal Free Hospital. Wakefield is now a researcher for the Austin-based Thoughtful House Center for Children. Murch has stated that there is no proven link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
No, I have not signed the petition.
In the text of the petition, the word “dare” occurs twice, in reference to the parents who believe that their child became autistic after receiving a vaccine (”[t]he reason these youngsters are ignored is that many of their parents have dared to attribute their condition to environmental exposures such as childhood vaccines”) and to Wakefield, Walker-Smith, and Murch (”they may be struck-off the medical register for daring to investigate why these children are so ill, which no-one else has been prepared to do”). There is the sense that parents and these three professionals have stuck out their necks to tell the truth, and that these professionals, Wakefield especially, perhaps, have been mavericks who are willing to listen to the experience that parents see—an experience, some parents feel, “traditional” medical professionals give short shrift to and disregard.
People, I think, are hungry for their experience—for their story—-with their autistic child to be heard. I see the numerous memoirs about autism by parents, not to mention the ever-growing count of blogs, as testament to this hunger. But are we parents so hungry that we sometimes take the first food offered? Is it that we have no other choice?
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POSTED IN: Health, Junk Science, Legal Issues, Science, Treatment, Vaccines
10 opinions for Petition for Wakefield: Who do you believe?
Harold L Doherty
Jul 8, 2007 at 8:39 am
Some parents take the first food offered. Some others search for nutritious evidence based meals. Then there are those who drink the Neurodiversity Kool-Aid.
Isabella Thomas
Jul 8, 2007 at 9:01 am
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/GMC/index.html
The petition is from a brother and concerned parents of sick children and doctors. You should read all the comments. A little information on duplications and people leaving their names off.
Fortunately the facilities offered by the petition site are a little more sophisticated than to allow duplications to be a problem. Duplications occasionally occur as people enter their names and comments but these are checked and deleted regularly. A final, and very thorough, check will be made before the petition is presented. ALL of the anonymous entries are identifiable by those of us monitoring the petition as ALL petitioners (whether anonymous or not) are required to provide their email address, which is visible to us but is not visible publicly. These will be made available and visible to the GMC panel (under the guidelines of the site providers) when the petition is presented to them. At this stage ALL entries will be identifiable as unique. Also note that many people have signed on behalf of entire families and in some instances entire companies We are not talking about all autism but a ’sub-set’ group of very sick children who were damaged by the MMR vaccine and there is treatment that can help them. To have this treatment it has to be acknowledged the damaged done. Doctors are now too frightened to treat our children properly because of the harm one journlist had done without looking at all the facts.
The three doctors on trial were the only doctors to listen to the children, and parents and the only doctors to help the children. I was part of the MMR litigation and have the expert reports from both sides. I am not allowed to make these public or the drug trials but I can tell you that win or loose the government and drug companies did not want this information out.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 8, 2007 at 9:34 am
I have been working my way through the comments; very interesting and thanks much for writing here.
Nigel
Jul 15, 2007 at 11:04 am
Firstly, I’m a brother and not a parent. Secondly, I wrote the petition to highlight the suffering of my two little brothers, and their experiences. They are in almost constant pain. The money used for this trial could have been spent treating them and some of the many thousands of other children who have similar conditions.
You’re quite right that parents don’t have a choice - the single vaccines were withdrawn. Neither do GP’s who are paid bonuses for giving the MMR.
Leaving out eating metaphors, I just want to see my brothers PROPERLY investigated and TREATED.
All the best,
Nigel.
HCN
Jul 15, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Nigel, would you mind answering the question I posed elsewhere?
The MMR in question was approved for use in the USA in 1971. It was approved for use in the UK in 1988 (due to the fact that the Merck MMR has a much safer mumps component). Why is it in the over thirty years of existence this MMR vaccine has only been a problem over twenty since its creation?
Kristina Chew, PhD
Jul 15, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Nigel, I am very moved by your efforts on behalf of your brothers—my son is an only child and he does not have any siblings to advocate for him as you are doing. But I do think that concerns like those HCN raised need to be addressed and responded to even as parents and families advocate for ways to help autistic persons, like your brothers and my son. Thank you very much.
A Doctor on Junk Science and Autism
Aug 12, 2007 at 4:06 pm
[...] Dr. Andrew Wakefield, “father of the vaccine equals autism theory,” who is now facing misconduct charges before the General Medical Council in the UK; and the work of father and son Mark and David Geier, [...]
A Suggestion for Dr. Wakefield
Sep 9, 2007 at 11:21 pm
[...] disputing such a link, unable to admit that he was wrong. Dr. Wakefield has been charged with misconduct that he undertook “research between 1996-8 without proper ethical approval” and that he [...]
Colonoscopy at the Royal Free Hospital was not “clinically justified”: £500,000 payout
Dec 9, 2007 at 5:31 am
[...] that the colonoscopy procedure be performed on Jack; along with Dr. Wakefield, Prof. Murch is under investigation by the General Medical Council “over allegations that he carried out invasive tests including colonoscopies on 11 other [...]
Miriam
Sep 21, 2008 at 5:52 pm
I believe Dr. wakefield. Lets face it, someone in the governements position with such authority and leadership would have to pay millions in compensation if they were wrong. Who would admit to being responsible for damaging, injuring some millions of children because of a lack of research, carelessness.
I have a son who is Autistic, I’m not amused. May God almight let the truth be known.
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