MAJOR AUTISM GROUPS SUPPORT DR. ANDREW WAKEFIELD
BY THE EDITORS
The British Medical Establishment's battle to discredit Andy Wakefield runs into its first major obstacle this week -- Andy Wakefield himself. He begins testimony in his own defense in the proceeding -- we think Inquisition is a much better word -- to pull his medical license after he published a study raising questions (questions, mind you!) about whether the MMR shot led to a GI disorder and regressive autism. He had the temerity to suggest that while we figure it out, it might make sense to separate the measles, mumps and rubella shots. For this outrage, he's already been driven out of England -- thankfully, to the USA. We'll bring you full coverage and news about how you can support him starting with the letter (below) from several major US autism groups. In addition, you can visit www.cryshame.com to learn more.
Wakefield and Colleagues Should Be Knighted, Not Persecuted
U.K. Medical Inquiry Threatens Scientific Inquiry & Progress in Autism
The National Autism Association (NAA), SafeMinds, Unlocking Autism, Generation Rescue, Autism One and Talk About Curing Autism (TACA) wish to express support for Dr. Andrew Wakefield and his colleagues who are unjustly facing a fitness to practice hearing by the General Medical Council (GMC) of the United Kingdom. Dr. Wakefield, a pioneer in autism research and treatment, begins his historic testimony today. The undersigned organizations, along with other U.S. families affected by autism, join in spirit with the U.K. families who are demonstrating today at the GMC offices in London.
The GMC prosecution is a frontal attack on the health and well-being of those around the world who have an autism spectrum disorder.
Scientific and medical progress in this field will only be made through open minded thinking on how best to treat and prevent the disabling conditions that accompany this complex diagnosis. The GMC’s actions have a chilling effect on the practice of medicine and suppress honest and open scientific inquiry.
Dr. Wakefield and his team of elite researchers at the Royal Free Hospital in London did exactly as they were called to do by their professional curiosity and ethics - find out why so many children have autism and whether gastrointestinal problems play a role in the disorder. Their seminal 1998 paper published in The Lancet reported a series of observations whose common features had coalesced as a new syndrome, autistic enterocolitis. The parents of many patients noted a link between the onset of symptoms and receipt of the measles-mumps-rubella combination vaccine (MMR), but out of an abundance of caution the Lancet paper claimed that the study did not prove an association between MMR and autism. Rather, it prudently called for further research.
The underlying goal of the GMC hearing is to take Dr. Wakefield and colleagues to task for daring to even hint at a vaccine-autism link. The “official” reason is to determine if the scientists profited from their research, but in fact the inquiry is a desperate tactic by vaccination proponents to quiet those who raise questions about the safety of current vaccination practices such as combining three live viruses into the single MMR injection. Recent developments in the U.S. have vindicated Dr. Wakefield’s hypotheses. Gastrointestinal problems are now known to be present in many autistic children and gastroenterology has become a standard discipline for autism medical care. The U.S. court for vaccine injury compensation has found that vaccination against multiple diseases on one day led to a case of regression into autism in a child who was developing normally.
Dr. Wakefield should be knighted for his cutting-edge creativity, not persecuted. He made his hypotheses a decade ago, and the rest of science is just now catching up. The public health bureaucrats and their agents – in the U.K. and the U.S. - are more interested in covering up their own misdeeds, poor judgment, or inaction. These include a refusal to make the single monovalent measles, mumps, and rubella vaccines broadly available in response to legitimate concerns over the safety of the triple MMR injection, a refusal to conduct a valid study comparing the rate of autism and other health outcomes in vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, and a refusal to reexamine infant immunization schedules to increase safety. Autism spectrum disorder rates in the U.K. may be as high as 1 in 66 and in the U.S. they are said to be 1 in 150 children, but the public health establishment refuses to declare autism a health emergency, refuses to apply the resources to understanding the disorder, and refuses to conduct the type of unbiased research required.
The U.K. medical establishment has driven Dr. Wakefield from his home, but his loss is America’s gain. We are blessed to have Dr. Wakefield as Director of the Thoughtful House Center for Children in Austin, Texas. In a few short years, this has become an international mecca for research, education, and treatment for children with autism. We look forward to a fair GMC hearing and to further ground-breaking research from Dr. Wakefield and his team.
For more information about autism and the undersigned organizations, visit www.autism.org. Details about today’s rally in London are available at http://www.cryshame.com/.
National Autism Association
SafeMinds
Unlocking Autism
Generation Rescue
Autism One
Talk About Curing Autism (TACA)
i belive that you are blaming mmr for autism, as you do not no yourselves what causes it. We Know about autism , we just don't no what causes it therefore any slight hope your holding onto. Yo are holding on to the very deep cracks in the foundaintions of wakefields study. Have you reasearched Honda's study where he used a substantially larger amount of people, and there was no link . The english are not stupid people, in fact most ahite american are ancestors of the english. There are reasons for why his ideas are considered outrageous . Remeber more cases of autism are diagnosed due to a better understanding , therefore easier to spot. I know you care , but are you serious. There were 5 times as many cases of autism found in japan after the vaccine was stopped. Why if there was not mmr jabs. Autism cases vary each year, so stop praising a man that could possibly cause an international epidemic. Did you know measles and rubella KILL. You have a 1 -1000 chance of measles becoming fatal. If everone has measles as no-one is having a jab , that is alot of deaths. In the meantime it hasn't helped autism in any shape or form
Posted by: eve | January 28, 2009 at 02:45 PM
It's interesting research - and it really annoys me that it doesn't go further, because I think MMR is just a trigger/final straw and the independant research does seem to back this up. But mostly it annoys me that anyone who does anything the drug companies don't like is hounded as unprofessional and a nutcase. And for the same reason there no mass studies about DQ2 and DQ8 - given the close links of "bowel disorders" with so many diseases including autism it would seem completely logical to figure out if this is the case so as to protect the approx 40% of the pop that carries these genes for gluten intolerance. To me autism is just one small face of the iceberg. If I was a drug company I'd be running scared to. You think autistic kids need lots of drugs, try IBS, asthma, cancer, depression...
Posted by: AJ | August 28, 2008 at 11:48 PM
"He had the temerity to suggest that while we figure it out, it might make sense to separate the measles, mumps and rubella shots."
Can you even begin to wonder WHY we do what we do? And then we are SUPPOSED to trust this medical establishment with the upkeep of our kids. THIS is why they are mad, that Wakefield suggested that they split up the shots.
What IS it? Are they afraid that IF they do split them up, autism might go away? Just for *that*, they hound a human being for years? What might be the penalty for such an evil ideology, that it is willing to injure and maim more and more kids, *just* to not be found out? SORRY, that does not imply *any* kind of trust, to my mind at least.
Posted by: MMR fear | March 28, 2008 at 06:52 AM
When you consider who gets knighted these days under New Labour it no longer seems such a quaint custom - of course, it is alright for actors and musicians, but the rest are rather a rum lot. I think we need to consider some beheadings (according to mediaeval custom) before Andy could possibly accept a knighthood.
Posted by: John Stone | March 27, 2008 at 04:36 PM
When most people think of autism they think of a neurological disorder. My son Yates suffered incredibly painful gastrointestinal complications, until he was treated by Dr. Tim Buie a pediatric gastroenterologist and professor of Harvard Medical School. Yates' symptoms were identical to the symptoms Dr. Wakefield described when he testified before Congress. The treatment Yates received was pioneered by Dr. Wakefield. My family is eternally greatful to Andy Wakefield. He will be vindicated.
Rolf Hazlehurst
Posted by: Rolf Hazlehurst | March 27, 2008 at 12:35 PM
Bless Andy Wakefield and his family. His devotion to the TRUTH regardless of personal consequences is what honor and integrity are all about.
May the truth be exposed and the persecution end!
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | March 27, 2008 at 11:16 AM
If it wasn't for Dr. Wakefield's work, our son would not be talking and neither of our children would be sleeping through the night again, not to mention that our kids wouldn't currently be on a track towards better general health. We owe a lot to him.
It occurred to me that this is another possible reason why mainstream medicine is so furious at Dr. Wakefield: no one's been able to sell us sleep drugs, behavioral drugs or acid reflux meds. With so many families now using alternative medical approaches which originated-- wholly or in part-- from Dr. Wakefield's research, this probably constitutes an enormous loss in drug profits already.
Posted by: Gatogorra | March 27, 2008 at 11:10 AM
As families marched through the streets of Washington D.C. that hot July morning in 2005 during the Power of Truth Rally, Dr. Andrew Wakefield was there with us. As we walked side by side, I told him that it was an honor having him there with us. His reply was simple but one that I'll never forget, "No, the honor is all mine".
I'm sure glad Andy's here in the USA!
Charlie
Posted by: Charlie Hoover | March 27, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Thank you Age of Autism for covering this very important story. We in the autism community, my family included, owe so much to Andy Wakefield and his family. The sacrifices he has made on behalf of our children go beyond anything I've ever seen. His research into the GI manifestations and regression following MMR vaccination has saved lives - including my daughter Michelle's life - who at only 8 years old was clinically malnourished, severely dehydrated, losing her eyesight, had developed a coagulation disorder secondary to malnutrition and was dying from starvation because it was too painful for her to eat. Michelle had the novel form of bowel disease Wakefield first discovered. But no one was treating it. So it would be that a US doctor, Arthur Krigsman, who knew of Wakefield's vital work, would know what to do to help Michelle. Arthur Krigsman consulted with our local doctors and after 18 days in the hospital, Michelle was released.
We're behind you all the way Andy -
Theresa Cedillo
Proud Mom to Michelle
Posted by: Theresa Cedillo | March 27, 2008 at 08:55 AM