Managing Editor's Note: My apologies - it seems that the free downloads have been used up and so readers can not access the full study.
Click HERE for a pdf. Dr. DeLong invites you to contact her directly at (gayle.delong@baruch.cuny.edu) for further information.

Abstract: Conflicts of interest (COIs) cloud vaccine safety research. Sponsors of research have competing interests that may impede the objective study of vaccine side effects. Vaccine manufacturers, health officials, and medical journals may have financial and bureaucratic reasons for not wanting to acknowledge the risks of vaccines. Conversely, some advocacy groups may have legislative and financial reasons to sponsor research that finds risks in vaccines. Using the vaccine-autism debate as an illustration, this article details the conflicts of interest each of these groups faces, outlines the current state of vaccine safety research, and suggests remedies to address COIs. Minimizing COIs in vaccine safety research could reduce research bias and restore greater trust in the vaccine program.

Dr. Gayle DeLong is an associate professor in the Economics and Finance Department of Baruch College.  Her research examines regulated industries such as banking and pharmaceuticals.