- MMR:
COUNTDOWN TO A CRISIS
The
Sunday Times (London) June 18 2006
Brian
Deer
October 1988: MMR triple vaccine
starts in UK after use in America since 1971
February
1996: A solicitor, Richard Barr, hires
Andrew Wakefield to support a legal attack on MMR jab
makers. Not publicly disclosed
June
1996: Wakefield and Barr submit proposals to
Legal Aid Board to fund research project to show a
link between MMR and autism. Not disclosed
July
1996: First autistic child admitted to Royal
Free hospital for research project. Of the 12 in the
study, 11 will turn out to be litigants
June
1997: Wakefield files for patent on own
“safer” single measles jab and for products
to treat autism. Not publicly disclosed
February
1998: The Lancet publishes paper proposing
link between MMR and autism. Wakefield makes no
disclosure of his interests
January
2001: Daily Mail and other newspapers launch
campaigns backing Wakefield after he publishes a
“review” of his evidence and [repeats]
calls for single vaccines
January
2003: Vaccination among two-year-olds falls
to 78.9%, below 92% needed to protect the population
February
2004: The Sunday Times reveals
Wakefield’s legal funding and children’s
litigant status
February
2004: Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet,
describes original paper as “fatally
flawed” and apologises for publishing it
March
2004: Ten of the 1998 Lancet paper’s 13
authors, excluding Wakefield, retract claim of
possible MMR-autism link
November
2004: Channel 4 probe reveals
Wakefield’s patent claims and commercial
interests
June
2005: Vaccine uptake rises to 83%
June
2006: GMC confirms Wakefield disciplinary
hearing in early 2007
Copyright,
Brian Deer. All rights reserved. No portion of this
article on MMR and Andrew Wakefield may be copied,
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without the express written approval of the author.
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