By Richard B. Graff, PhD, BCBA-D
In 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield shook the autism world by publishing research in the prestigious British medical journal, The Lancet, suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine (or thimerisol, a preservative used in vaccines) and autism. Wakefield's speculation received widespread media attention, and the story was sensationalized in the news, in newspapers and popular magazines, and on daytime talk shows. As with many other "fad" therapies in autism, the Internet became a hotbed of misinformation regarding this possible link. As a result, the percentage of children in Britain who received the MMR vaccine dropped (not surprisingly, the number of confirmed cases of measles skyrocketed). Parents in other countries also became very worried about having their children vaccinated.
Many media outlets quickly jumped on the vaccine-autism bandwagon, as did some prominent autism organizations. However, many members of the scientific community viewed Wakefield's research with a healthy dose of skepticism. In 2000, both the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Pediatrics concluded that the scientific evidence did not support a link between receiving the MMR vaccine and developing autism. Studies conducted in other countries also found no evidence of a link. Other well-respected institutions, including the World Health Organization, also concluded that there was no evidence of a vaccine-autism link. As the evidence mounted, the British investigative reporter Brian Deer investigated the case. Over time, it became clear that there were significant problems with Wakefield's research. Ultimately, Britain's General Medical Council concluded that Wakefield had engaged in professional misconduct; they described his behavior as dishonest, irresponsible, and unethical. Ultimately, The Lancet retracted the article, and Wakefield was stripped of his license to practice medicine in Britain.
Given the early skepticism of many scientists, the obvious question becomes, "Why didn't the rest of us know sooner?" In my opinion, there are several factors that contributed to the persistence in the belief that the MMR vaccine caused autism:
It is unfortunate that it took so long for the media to report on the actual facts surrounding the vaccine-autism hoax...unfortunate, but not necessarily surprising. We tend to believe what we see and what we read, and assume that the people showing us and telling us have done their homework. We also need to realize that a daytime talk-show discussion with scientists about what causes autism does not draw as large an audience as celebrities discussing how a vaccine gave their child autism, or when angry parents tell us that the pharmaceutical companies have conspired to cover up the truth. The fact is, sensationalism sells more than science. I guess this is part of why more people watch reality TV shows than MSNBC or the History Channel or the Discovery Channel. But, I guess that until I'm asked to be on Oprah, not many people will realize this.
Richard Graff, PhD, BCBA-D, is clinical director at The New England Center for Children, Inc., in Southborough, Massachusetts, and a contributing expert to MedHelp's Autism and Asperger's Syndrome expert forum.
Published: February 15, 2011
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