Dr. Andrew Wakefield Issues Challenge to Public Debate Over U.K. Measles Outbreak

Health Impact News Editor Comments:

Even though Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s research has been verified many times in dozens of other studies, and even though his co-author’s lawsuit was thrown out of court and he was completely exonerated, the British Press continues to blame him for many things, including now the recent measles outbreak in Wales. Here is Dr. Wakefield’s response, and his challenge to publicly debate anyone on this issue.

UK Measles Outbreak Statement from Dr Andrew Wakefield

British government is entirely culpable for measles outbreak

In the wake of further media distortion, misrepresentation and ignorance in relation to the measles outbreak in Wales, it is important to clarify some key facts.

In 1998, following an analysis of all pre-licensing studies of MMR vaccine safety I recommended the use of single measles vaccine in preference to MMR. This remains my position.

At that time, in contrast with the false assertions of many commentators, including Richard Horton, Editor of the Lancet, and vaccine millionaire Paul Offit, the single vaccines were licensed in UK and freely available to the British public.

While MMR vaccination uptake fell from February 1998, there was a reciprocal increase in the uptake of single measles vaccine – a fact that is never acknowledged in the press. Vaccination clinics administered many thousands of doses of measles vaccine and children were “protected”.

Six months later, in September 1998, the British Government withdrew the importation license for the single vaccines, effectively blocking this option for parents.

Measles cases in the UK rose when the government withdrew the importation license for the single measles vaccine leaving concerned parents with no choice.

When I demanded to know why, if the government’s principal concern was to protect children from measles, it would prevent parents with genuine safety concerns over MMR from protecting their children, Elizabeth Miller of the Health Protection Agency responded “…..if we allowed parents the choice of single measles vaccines it would destroy our MMR program.” The government’s concern seemed to be to protect the MMR program over and above the protection of children.

MMR vaccine is not safe

Despite the claim of David Salisbury, head of the UK’s Immunization Division, that MMR has, “an exemplary safety record,” two of the three brands introduced in 1988 had to be withdrawn for safety reasons – they caused meningitis.

Government officials had approved these dangerous vaccines – Pluserix and Immravax – giving them the great majority of the UK market despite knowing they were high risk and despite having been warned explicitly of their dangers. These government officials put price before children’s health and have been seeking to cover up this shameful fact ever since.

MMR vaccine can cause autism

The US government have paid out millions of dollars to children whose autism followed vaccine-induced brain damage. A recent government concession in the US Vaccine Court confirms that the parents’ claims were valid all along.

In a recently published December 13th 2012 vaccine court ruling, hundreds of thousands of dollars were awarded to Ryan Mojabi (1), whose parents described how “MMR vaccinations”, caused a “severe and debilitating injury to his brain, diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder (‘ASD’).”

Later the same month, the government suffered a second major defeat when young Emily Moller from Houston won compensation following a vaccine-related brain injury that, once again, involved MMR and resulted in autism.

The cases follow similar successful petitions in the Italian and US courts (including Hannah Poling( 2), Bailey Banks (3), Misty Hyatt (4), Kienan Freeman (5), Valentio Bocca (6) and Julia Grimes (7) ) in which the governments conceded or the court ruled that vaccines had caused brain injury. In turn, this injury led to an ASD diagnosis. MMR vaccine was the common denominator in these cases.

Live Public Debate

The more light that is shone on this subject by way of informed, balanced debate, the better. I am offering to debate any serious challenger on MMR vaccine safety and the role of MMR in autism, live, in public and televised.