Andrew Wakefield came to this conclusion based on results found in eight out of twelve children. His results were then published in a medical journal called Lancet. Andrew Wakefield condemnation of vaccinations caused the public to become scared ("vaccinations and Autism". . .).
The question is does MMR have a true relation with the development of autism or is it just a coincidence? Doctor Andrew Wakefield had written a paper in Lancet journal in 1998 which suggested that MMR vaccine causes autism. In his research, he found out that MMR vaccine was responsible for bowel inflammation that leads to the translocation of non-permeable peptides into the bloodstream. (American Academy of Pediatrics) This in turn carries them to the brain causing the root of autism spectrum disorder to form. His research was called weak by drug corporations, governments and media companies and was then discredited earning him a fraud reputation.
In society the controversy over whether we should be vaccinated or not is nothing new. The The fear that vaccines Due to this, 40% of parents in america have chosen to postpone or refuse altogether to get their children vaccinated. The main sources of the controversy over vaccination is the fact that, their is a great deal of misinformation and that the public feels pressured to get their kids vaccinated. This
Wakefield was found doing unnecessary painful procedures on children, and in 2010 was banned from practicing medicine. Unfortunately, this study did a lot more harm than good. This study put a lot of fear in parents and they refused to vaccinate their children because of this. Physicians now warn parent’s that refusing to vaccinate your child is not a risk-free choice and in some cases may even have deadly consequences. Looking at the media and its affect on vaccination the article, “Media Coverage of the Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine and Autism... ... middle of paper ... ...tect their child’s health not, to harm them.
These doctors conducted smallpox experiments to discover more effective vaccines in case the virus were released. Preparedness for a major epidemic is discussed as well as the ease with which smallpox can be bioengineered. The Demon in the Freezer is divided into eight sections. It begins with the upsetting details surrounding the sudden death of Robert Stevens, just three weeks after the attacks of September 11, 2001. An autopsy showed Mr. Stevens died of inhalation anthrax.
However, in the United States it is a different version, where parents demand their children not to be vaccinated. Vaccines are readily available to people, yet they refuse for many different reasons. Most of the reasons given for not vaccinating children are because of religious reasons, forgetfulness, moral beliefs, monetary issues and the theory that vaccines cause other health related issues, such as autism. The United States have been privileged with support from the government to vaccinate all people who requested to be vaccinated against preventable diseases. Many people around the world are powerless in getting vaccinated and most die due to lack of healthcare and availability of vaccines.
Most of this has to do with the myths circulating around vaccines, mainly the one that ties vaccines to autism. In 1998, an author wrote a research paper called The Lancelot. In The Lancelot, “Andrew Wakefield, a British researcher at the time, linked the MMR vaccine with autism spectrum disorders in the paper” (Bushak par. 22). This paper created a huge stir within parents and caused a decrease in vaccines despite the fact that “later, the paper was found to be fraudulent, and it emerged that Wakefield had been funded by opponents of vaccine manufacturers” (Bushak par.
A recent spike in the number of diagnoses of autism spectrum disorders has also brought to light the controversy that exists concerning the link between autism and immunizations. In a piece published by CNN, Jenny McCarthy depicts her son’s recovery from autism. In it, she claims that autism is an entirely environment illness, and states that vaccines are a major trigger of the disease. A Newsweek article printed in 2005 discusses the search for a cure for autism, citing the many methods parents have used in an attempt to treat their children—including a wheat and dairy free diet, and a controversial treatment method that strips the body of metals called chelation. Again, it was brought up that the osteopath who prescribed these methods, Mary Ann Block, felt that toxins from vaccines were the roots of autism.
Then in 1974, a National Academy of Science review found that, "Saccharin itself could not be identified as the cause of the tumors because of possible impurities as well as problems with experimental design and procedures" (Kennedy 131). Therefore, the FDA decided not to ban saccharin until they received the results of a study being conducted in Canada. In March 1977, the Canadian study showed that feeding large doses of saccharin to pregnant rats and their weanlings produced bladder cancers in the male offspring. The Canadians immediately banned saccharin. When the FDA announced its intentions to follow suit, public outcry led to a Congressionally voted eighteen-month moratorium.
The vaccination-autism debate originated from the studies of a British medical researcher named Andrew Wakefield. Wakefield had claimed to discover a connection between the vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and the development of autism and gastrointestinal disease in young children. (Hansen) He published his findings in a British medical journal and this started a large controversy amongst many scientists, doctors and citizens all over Europe. Many of who insist that there is no relation between the disease and the vaccination while others stand firm behind the beliefs of Wakefield. This dilemma soon spreads from the UK across the ocean and into North America.