Struck off MMR doctor handed award for 'lifetime achievement in quackery'

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/dec/23/struck-off-mmr-doctor-quackery-award


Andrew Wakefield 'supported or practised pseudoscience in the most ludicrous, dangerous, irrational or irresponsible manner', according to campaign group Good Thinking Society. Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Andrew Wakefield, the doctor struck off the medical register for his discredited research that claimed to find a link between autism and the MMR vaccine, can add another honour to his list this Christmas: the inaugural Golden Duck award for lifetime achievement in quackery, set up by the science writer Simon Singh.

Runners-up for the award were Prince Charles and David Tredinnick, the Tory MP for Bosworth and member of the Commons health select committee. The Good Thinking Society, a campaign group led by Singh, set up the annual Golden Duck award to recognise those "who have supported or practised pseudoscience in the most ludicrous, dangerous, irrational or irresponsible manner".

In 1998, Wakefield was the lead author of a paper in the Lancet medical journal that suggested a link between the measles virus and inflammatory bowel disease. The paper also suggested the virus played a role in the development of autism. Wakefield later said that his research led him to believe that, instead of the MMR triple vaccine, children should be given a series of single vaccines. His statements led to alarm around the world, a drop in the rate of MMR vaccination and, in the UK, a rise in cases of measles cases.

In 2010, the Lancet formally retracted Wakefield's paper and he was struck off the medical register after being found guilty of serious professional misconduct. Subsequent studies have found no credible link between MMR and either autism or Crohn's disease.

[graham4anything]

1. He should be in jail for the unliminted and unknown number of casualties he directly led to

What with the uproar this week over the killings of just 20 kids
Wakefield has led to unlimited number of kids harmed by not getting vaccinated.

Just being a quack is not good enough. Jail would be a strong deterent for this to happen again.

[LeftishBrit]

2. Well deserved

Glad he's not gracing our shores any more. Apologies to Texas.

[cbayer]

3. Never heard of this award, but he certainly sounds like a worthy recipient.