The Doctor Who Fooled the World. Andrew Wakefield's War on Vaccines
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Life & Times Books: long read The Doctor Who Fooled The World. glazed eyes. In my first years as a GP I was related the measles vaccine to autism via Andrew Wakefield’s War On Vaccines tasked to raise the childhood immunisation a new ‘inflammatory bowel disease’. When Brian Deer from ‘What? How do you mean?’ to the 94% others contradicted his results he devised Scribe Publications, 2020, PB, 416pp, £16.99, which we — the staff, the health visitors and invalid tests performed in laboratories he 978-1911617808 myself — achieved. owned. For reasons of medical politics My two children were fully immunised and alone he was given an expensively furnished I ensured they got the second MMR when it and equipped research ward supported by was proven to be needed. I, like the majority, those who wanted to promote their own looked on immunisation as an example of progression and, as a ‘research assistant’. modern living and progress ... and then, with He became ‘a doctor without patients’, able age and experience only a couple of years to admit and investigate 12 children selected less than mine, came Andrew Wakefield. because their parents had heard of him through ‘Jabs’ (a support group for vaccine- WAKEFIELD DEVISED INVALID TESTS damaged children). PERFORMED IN LABORATORIES HE For those in primary care, we need to OWNED remember that these children had referral Brian Deer has described Wakefield in the letters from GP’s, but in most cases the GP I LOOKED ON IMMUNISATION AS AN terms he deserves. Born into a medical was phoned by Wakefield requesting the referral, or the parent asked the GP for the EXAMPLE OF MODERN LIVING AND family, at medical school he was a captain referral prompted by talking to Wakefield. PROGRESS… AND THEN CAME ANDREW in rugby and played at number 8 ‘needing The nearest distance a child lived to the unit WAKEFIELD fearlessness to smack into the enemy’ and was 60 miles. ‘If he believed in something, he would have ‘his career Plan A was professor of surgery … gone to the ends of the earth to go on he would crave that professorship … but his RISE AND FALL believing.’ (from an interview with Wakefield’s dreams were bigger than that.’ While subjecting these 12 children to mother, pg. 370) And indeed Wakefield has earned himself ileocolonoscopies, lumbar punctures and a wealthy life style in the US, safe in the ‘Can one person change the world? Ask other investigations, most of which had to ‘kitchen cabinet’ of Donald Trump. be done under sedation, he hypothesised Andrew Wakefield.’ (extract from an editorial Brian Deer vindicates the purpose of in The New Indian Express, pg. 5) that triple MMR vaccine caused more investigative journalism and describes the ‘damage’ than the monovalent vaccine. He strain it places on the journalists. At one time himself organised a press briefing where he When I started primary school in a class he was sued by Wakefield. When Wakefield of 30 there were four of my companions who previewed his paper on the 12 children, which withdrew the summons Brian Deer went to he had de facto written himself, despite being had callipers and two of them were given court to ensure the case continued! As a chunkier pencils. When my GP gave me a published in the Lancet with a list of thirteen journalist he has written an uncomfortable authors (now retracted).1 sugar lump on which he had put some liquid, page-turner. neither he nor my mum told me it was to stop During the briefing the Dean (of the Wakefield’s formal qualification was as medical school who gave Wakefield the getting polio and it was years later I put the a surgeon with an FRCS. He subsequently callipers and the sugar lump together. lavish facilities), wanted to present the described his ‘training’ in virology as follows: I trusted my GP because he was gentle rising incidence of measles in Europe and ‘I sat down with two volumes of a virology when he looked in my ears and in the early its resulting morbidity and fatality. But such textbook, and worked through it’, the book sixties I cannot remember moaning too facts were displaced in the press and TV by being Field’s Virology, Second Edition. the more dazzling presentations of Wakefield much when, with my mum, I stood in a long Wakefield, claiming to be backed by who was supported by ‘Jabs’ which rejoiced queue extending no less than 8 detached science, suggested that the measles vaccine in the findings. Parents of children who were houses up the street, waiting to see my caused Crohn’s disease and, despite no initially sent home with ‘normal’ findings GP standing with his sleeves rolled up at training in paediatrics or psychiatry, he then were subsequently told to obtain Mesalazine the door to his one-roomed surgery. He scratched my arm in front of a flickering blue flame, which would have been scary if it was not him standing there. It was only in my A-level days that I understood how Jenner ”At one time he [the author] was sued by Wakefield. had discovered smallpox vaccine which was When Wakefield withdrew the summons Brian Deer used for the last time in West-Yorkshire during a localised outbreak. went to court to ensure the case continued! As a In my junior doctor days I covered the journalist he has written an uncomfortable page- infectious diseases wards when doing evenings and nights and looked after wards turner. ” of hot children with coughs and heavily 34 British Journal of General Practice, January 2021 Books: long read or similar to treat their children’s behaviour had brought Wakefield into contact with US relevant challenges to the medical profession problems. The 12 children obviously suffered legal firms, keen to adopt him as their expert and especially primary care. The anti-vax discomfort and distress but Wakefield’s ward and so a new and even more lucrative phase movement is well funded, as can be seen in was for research — one child ‘was so ill, of his career developed there. Initially he had Wakefield’s current lifestyle and his original and repeatedly vomiting, that on Friday he vocal support from Donald Trump and can influence was the result of his charisma and was put in a taxi with his mother and driven be seen on his inauguration photos but, faced presentation. Also of importance was the way 280 miles home.’ with an epidemic of measles, Trump changed the media were presented with complicated When, in 2010, the children’s notes were his mind. Social media then offered Wakefield tables of results and terminology in simple, reviewed by the GMC it was found that the a new means of promoting his ‘anti-vax’ short and catchy phrases which could light results presented in the Lancet as ‘abnormal’ campaign with worldwide consequences, up the front pages and wake up the evening were reported by the pathologists who saw even though he had still never actually, ever, viewers. them as ‘normal’. treated a patient. We need to accept that the future challenge Having summarised this chronology in the In Europe in 2018-2019 there was an to immunise our patients stands between the first section of his book Brian Deer then goes epidemic of measles. Wakefield now likes of Wakefield, and others such as my on to explain how Wakefield was able to use lives a millionaire lifestyle and dates Elle childhood GP, renowned for his kindness findings with no scientific basis to change the Macpherson, Brian Deer lives in a London and understanding, standing at his doorway minds of parents and, sadly, the press, on the flat. Those who believed supporting with his sleeves rolled up and using minimal benefits of immunisation. Wakefield would promote their careers are resources for the maximum benefit of all Wakefield presented his dozen patients remembered for ‘Wakefield’ and none of those who he took to be entrusted to his care. and was heralded as a ‘consultant their other achievements. Other doctors The profession will all need to roll its sleeves gastroenterologist’, ‘consultant paediatric whose name he tagged on to the Lancet up and stand before our patients illuminated gastroenterologist’, ‘director of research article1 lost their registration. by the light and flame of truth. group’ and ‘reader in experimental This book needs to be read widely — it is gastroenterology’; titles which Brian Deer aimed at a mixed audience and has several Peter Lindsay, points out had no more basis than his theories. Portfolio GP and a Hospital Practitioner in paediatrics, sections in which Brian Deer explains the He had the FRCS but failed to keep up the in practice for 37 years. annual subscription in spite of being funded by scientific jargon used by Wakefield, and the Email: [email protected] the various commercial laboratories which he scientific method used to disprove him — but that is needed because the myths that the This article was first posted on BJGP Life on set up as well as other legal and commercial 12 October 2020; https://bjgplife.com/Wakefield agencies who had vested interests in his work lay press were prepared to disseminate are being accepted as truth. clearly explained. What we all need to reflect DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp21X714557 Thankfully, after taking several conferences on are the motives of those who, seeing by storm and beating back questions from his results totally rubbished by recognised experienced clinicians he was found out and experts in all specialities who had studied dismissed from his UK post, leaving an MMR thousands of children, still supported his claims.