The Lancet retracts autism/vaccine study

[La Lioness Priyanka]

LONDON, Feb. 2 (UPI) -- The Lancet, a British medical journal, retracted a 1998 study that linked the childhood measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to autism.

The retraction follows an investigation by the General Medical Council, which oversees doctors in Britain, that found the study's lead author Dr. Andrew Wakefield acted unethically and dishonestly conducting the research, CNN reported.

"There was a biased selection of patients in The Lancet paper" and Wakefield's "conduct in this regard was dishonest and irresponsible," the council said.

The General Medical Council said Wakefield paid children for blood samples for his research at his son's birthday party. He also subjected some children in the study to various invasive medical procedures such as colonoscopies and magnetic resonance imaging scans.

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/02/02/The-Lancet-retracts-autismvaccine-study/UPI-80591265139272/

Finally.

[TheWraith]

1. Kicked and recommended.

Maybe now we can finally put this crap to bed without being called shills for Big Pharma. :eyes:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

4. yup

[blondeatlast]

12. How I wish. nt

[virgogal]

2. This is certainly very big news--------unbelievable.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Not really.

It was arguably moderate big news many months ago when this guy got exposed as a fraud. This retraction is just the slow wheel of bureaucracy finally turning.

[virgogal]

9. I'm usually out of the loop. LOL

[paulsby]

19. exactly. i already posted an article about the guy being outed as a fraud

this is just lancet catching up to reality.

[amborin]

3. good for Lancet, a very respected journal k and r

[SemiCharmedQuark]

6. That's the great thing about conspiracy theories though.

You can claim Big_________ is persecuting Wakefield, provide no evidence for such a claim, and people will say you're speaking "truth to power!"

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. .

:rofl:

[SemiCharmedQuark]

10. See Age of Autism's post declaring Wakefield to be a modern Galileo!

http://www.ageofautism.com/2010/01/from-the-roman-to-the-wakefield-inquisition.html

[Viking12]

23. Jeebus, they're fucking crazy

[stray cat]

8. Facts are pesky things - but facts don't always do much for conspiracy theorists

[Iggo]

11. K&R

[blondeatlast]

13. Wow, a vax thread that isn't flaming yet?

Science RULES.

[Warpy]

14. Most people don't have a clue what it takes for a reputable medical journal

to admit they got suckered by a quack and withdraw an article as false. In fact, I don't remember it happening in my lifetime, although I'm sure it might have.

This is not only unusual, it's earth shatteringly rare.

That tells you the level of quackery, fakery, sloppiness, and damage to human beings that Wakefield has achieved.

Now they need to try to extradite him back to the UK to put him in prison.

[Odin2005]

15. About fucking time!!!

[derby378]

16. I can't believe that THE LANCET got punk'd

This isn't the first time a medical or scientific journal suffered such a blow, however.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

17. Even though it took them 12 years, I'm glad to see they stepped up.

[mr blur]

18. Well, Wakefield fled to Texas and you can keep him.

Sadly, no shortage of people in the US who believe this crook.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

20. kick

[rd_kent]

21. But, but, but Jenny McCarthy disagrees!

[Statistical]

22. It won't matter to the anti-vaxxers. They will just say it is a coverup by big pharma.

People who intentionally don't get their kids vaccinated should be charged with child neglect and lose custody of them.