May 22 2010
The story of Andrew Wakefield in pictures
I’ve blogged a lot about anti-vaccine hero Andrew Wakefield over the years. The story has become long and convoluted, and to tell it takes a lot of verbiage, even by my standards (or those of Kimball Atwood). However, I’ve found a good resource that tells the tale of Andrew Wakefield and his misdeeds in a highly accessible form:
The question at the very end of the story is about as appropriate as it gets. Unfortunately, the answer to the question is: Yes.
7 Responses to “The story of Andrew Wakefield in pictures”
Excellent and accurate.
His defenders blame a conspiracy to discredit Wakefield, even though Wakefield was caught conspiring with lawyers to manufacture false evidence and Wakefield was trying to sell a competing vaccine.
It is no surprise that the GMC found Wakefield’s behavior to be dishonest and unethical. Dishonest and unethical apply even more so to Wakefield’s defenders.
I heard Wakefield’s story at the Science-Based Medicine section at TAM 7. Remarkable. Mr. Cunningham’s illustrated version helps bring the story to life.
The condensed, 4-panel version would go like this:
Man develops undisclosed financial conflicts.
Man does unethical research, now fully discredited.
Anti-vaccination activists unceasingly praise and defend Man.
Critically-thinking scientists scratch their heads.
wonderful! – Thanks
The comic is awesome. Thanks! (I reposted it in the hope that it will go viral.)
Huffington Post, a frank supporter of anti-vax and woo, had a tiny print blip this morning that the UK has revoked Wakefield’s license to practice medicine due to his unethical research practices (collecting blood samples at a birthday party etc.) not his “science”. Of course he has long since fled to the US where it is hoped that a similar professional censure might ensue. It amazes me how many of the CAM “luminaries” have lost medical licenses (check out the list of “Contributers” – sic – at the Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine) or never had one to begin with. ALL of them simply “ahead of their time, threatening the establishment, and misunderstood” — what are the chances!
ScarySkwerl: as Wakefield is not licensed to practice medicine in the United States, an equivalent action cannot happen here. However, there would be the possibility of criminal charges for practicing medicine without a license, if they catch him at it. So far, he’s doing what other unlicensed quacks do — instead of practicing medicine, they “advise” at clinics where licensed doctors practice.
Somewhere on the Internet there must be a picture of a guy standing next to Wakefield and holding a sign that says “I’m with stupid.”