If I ask you who Andrew Wakefield is, you might not know. If I ask you if there might be a link between the MMR vaccine and autism in children, you might say yes, because there has been a link proven about it. Many, many concerned parents up and down the country in the past few years have not given their babies the MMR jab because they feared the link to autism was too high to take a chance. This was, and still is, very understandable. After all, who wants to take risks with the health and welfare of their children?
Andrew Wakefield was a UK MD until today. He was struck off the medical register for his 'professional misconduct' regarding his misuse of the MMR research, which led to an almost epidemic surge in some areas of measles, which is easily protected by a MMR jab. Measles can be a very dangerous condition, especially in young children, so this doctor abused his position as he chased his piece of fame. He convinced enough parents to doubt, that they jeopardised the health of the very little people they wanted to protect.
This man will no longer be able to act as a doctor in the UK, but he is now living and working in the USA, having been discredited in his home country. He has 'lost' a part of his work in the UK, but has fallen on his feet in another country. But what about all those parents who risked everything precious to them on his say so? What of all those children who suffered measles needlessly? All because of one man's ego.
Sometimes we say glibly that doctors play God, and here is one instance where that is true. This man played God, and won!! What can we learn from that?
The aim is to provide a stimulating mix of personal opinions (from a mainstream Christian worldview), and associated comments, which will be accepted and published if they comply with the usual courtesy and decency.
I truly understand both sides of this issue. On one hand, I realize how serious Measles can be for small children, I really do. However, as someone that has worked with autistic children, I see Measles as a far safer alternative. When I have children, I will be very careful about what vaccines they receive - if any - until they are school-aged. Risk of autism aside, many vaccines have traces of toxins which I wouldn't want exposed to my child. Think about the last time you got an inoculation. Did the doctor give you the packaging, let you look at the ingredients, or discuss what he or she was actually putting into your body? I've never had a physician do that for me.
ReplyDeleteI think it's very easy to point a finger at a doctor that holds to his convictions when they're not exactly mainstream. Maybe he does deserve to have his license revoked. I don't know enough about the situation to judge. What I do know is that we're pumping our bodies full of chemicals that don't naturally exist within us, and we don't know the full extent of their side effects. It's easy to say this doctor was playing God, but how much are we playing God whenever we seek medical invincibility? How much has our society promoted a cheap, second-rate substitute for true eternal life at the expense of embracing God's eternal life? Knowing the little that I do, I applaud the guy for being innovative and for providing his patients with an alternative to potentially-damaging drugs. It's just sad that this has set alternative medicine back by several years.
Ah Naomi, I see you like a good debate? So do I, so I also understand your misgivings on this case, and a lot of people share your thoughts and even fears, but...! Yes, the but in this case is that the doctor wasn't struck off by a jury of his scientific peers for researching any possible link between the triple MMR jab, and autism, but for the 'serious professional misconduct' of abusing and misusing the results! All other research into this 'link' has not proven any link, and is in fact neutral. As parents, who have charge of our most precious gift(s), we need good information to help us make informed choices. This man did not do that. It was proven conclusively that he skewed the results in his favour. Or to put it another way, he made his results fit the goal of proving the 'link'. Now that is a serious charge for any scientist, but perhaps more so for a medical scientist. The result in the UK was that many parents pre-judged his results, and feared the worst. In areas around the country, there were pockets of very high incidences of Measles, Mumps and Rubella and no proven links to any cases of autism. Many, many babies were put at an avoidable risk and became seriously ill. I think you must agree that these diseases are very serious, especially in small children, and we should not be making our decisions on flawed research. Right now, there is no link. Maybe in the future a scientist will show a link, but with untampered data. Then and only then, can the parents make that already difficult decision. This doctor abused the trust of many people in this country with his badly used and published data. That's why he no longer practices here.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification! You make an excellent point... A doctor's job is to put all the options on the table for a patient and to allow the patient (or patient's parents) to choose the best course of action. I guess I'm a little jaded by medical professionals in general, as I feel they never really explain all the options and allow the patient to make the choice. Living in the States was just a wee bit (read that "HUGE BIT") damaging because doctors almost doubled as salesmen for pharmaceutical companies.
ReplyDeleteI still lean towards not immunizing within the first couple of years of life, but tried and tested vaccines - like the ones I got more than 20 years ago - aren't going to hurt anyone...
Maybe part the real problem is one that I've observed as I work with kids... Parents don't want to put a lot of work into raising their kids. Instead of doing their research and making informed choices -about everything from vaccinations to discipline - they are happy to let someone else make all the choices and do all the hard work for them. I don't want to take away from the fact that the doctor was clearly in the wrong if he was misrepresenting research, but there's a point as a parent that you need to step up to the plate and read the small print for yourself. If a doctor was so adamant that a vaccine (that every other child was getting) would harm my child, I'd take a lot of time to research it and get second (and possibly third) opinions.
My perspective is definitely skewed by the number of ways that autism has touched my life. I should probably do a lot more research myself. :-P
I love a good debate, especially with a well-informed, educated, and articulate person, like yourself. :-D
Hey Naomi, you honour me, or do I mean flatter :). Anyway I don't know what :-P or :-D means so maybe the truth is tucked in there. Maybe ignorance is bliss right enough :) (Yes I know that one!). I think a good discussion or debate is a great way to get at the truth, or bottom line, as far as we can, but sometimes care needs to be taken as to who you try to discuss/debate with, eh :) (There's another one!)
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