Lancet formally retracts 1998 paper linking vaccine... (AFP)

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Lancet formally retracts 1998 paper linking vaccine and autism (AFP)

PARIS (AFP) – Medical journal The Lancet Tuesday withdrew a 1998 study linking autism with inoculation against three childhood illnesses, a paper that caused an uproar and an enduring backlash against vaccination.

The British journal said it was acting in the light of an ethics judgement last week by Britain's General Medical Council against Andrew Wakefield, the study's lead researcher.

"We fully retract this paper from the published record," The Lancet's editors said in a statement published online.

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Was just going to post this.

It's about time

Maybe we'll get a few less threads about it here, now.

Sounds to me somebody is upset with the lack of people falling for the swine flu scam more than anything else.

I'm interested in vaccines and autism but I am not concerned with the outcome between the two. However, I am still entitled to a non-neutral opinion and think the above retraction is more than meets the eye.

Maybe we can go on to something else, now that this has been dealt with.

The retraction is not going to end this. Too many parents see this as the of all end all issue and will continue to espouse this hypothesis.

In other news however, I guess Jim Carrey will not be getting any nookie tonight.

Ha! I was thinking the same thing.

I was surprised that the study was published so long ago...it seemed like no one had heard of it until Jenny McCarthy started spewing her bullsh!t.

Because, naturally, people are going to run right out and get the H1N1 vaccine because of this.


No, this was likely retracted today because of last week's verdict from the UK's General Medical Council, which ruled that Wakefield acted "dishonestly and irresponsibly".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8483865.stm

Lancet had previously stated that they should not have published the study.

The General Medical Council is the regulatory body in the UK that oversees licences to practice medicine. They have not yet handed down their punishment for Wakefield (and won't for some time), but they could feasibly (and, I think, will likely) revoke his right to practice medicine in the UK.

Fun fact: Wakefield now lives and practices medicine in the US.

This reminds me of when the Pope admitted they were wrong about Galileo...

Finally, we will no longer be hearing that vaccines have caused us our autism. Well, do I believe the argument will go away? No, there will be people who still believe this including one of my co-workers. Wow, how would you like to have been a fly on the wall in the executive office of the Lancet as this retraction was being discussed?

Ironically at the same time that they are not only exposing the WHO and pharma companies for conspiracy regarding H1N1, but also at the same time they are predicting another "H1N1 flu peak" in the near future.

Coincidence? I think not.

I am tired of this whole autism is caused by vaccines theory. My mom used to say that all the medicines I had as a kid and shots gave me my autism because I had so manny medical complications as a child

Now I think she is starting to see it is genetic because my nephews are showing symptoms.

My friend once told me my mom blamed the shots because she didn't want to think it could be genetic because if it was she would blame herself? either way she has loved me for who I was.

So, help me understand.

According to your logic, the General Medical Council started their hearing on Mr. Wakefield three years ago because they wanted Lancet to retract this paper just in time for some kind of conspiracy about a strain of H1N1 that came into existence in 2009.


Yeah, that makes complete sense. I can't believe I didn't see it before.

Oh, definitely not. There are far too many determined parents out there.

LOLWUT