Index/Topics/1998 Lancet MMR Vaccine Controversy

1998 Lancet MMR Vaccine Controversy

The controversy surrounding Andrew Wakefield's 1998 Lancet paper linking the MMR vaccine to autism and bowel disease, which was later retracted due to findings of serious ethical and scientific misconduct.

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Jan 16, 2026
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List findings against Dr Andrew Wakefield

Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 Lancet paper asserting a link between the MMR vaccine and autism was formally retracted and later described as fraudulent after years of investigation; multiple inquiries found...

Feb 7, 2026

What specific evidence did Brian Deer present to support claims of data falsification in the Wakefield paper?

’s multi-year investigation presented a constellation of documentary mismatches, medical-record contradictions, undisclosed financial ties, and recruitment irregularities that he argued amounted to de...

Feb 6, 2026

What did the Wakefield study actually claim and why was it retracted?

's 1998 Lancet paper reported a small case series suggesting a new "syndrome" linking — an implication that MMR might trigger autism — but the paper contained no robust evidence of causation and was l...

Jan 9, 2026

Vilification of Wakefield was unfair

Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 Lancet paper was eventually judged fraudulent, retracted, and found to involve ethical breaches and conflicts of interest that produced measurable public harm — facts that expl...

Jan 8, 2026

What were the key findings of the GMC Fitness to Practise hearings into Andrew Wakefield?

The General Medical Council (GMC) Fitness to Practise hearings concluded that Andrew Wakefield engaged in serious professional misconduct: his 1998 Lancet study was conducted and reported in breach of...

Jan 8, 2026

What did the BMJ and Brian Deer specifically document about Wakefield’s patient records and financial ties?

The BMJ, via a multi-part investigation by Brian Deer, documented that the 1998 Lancet paper by Andrew Wakefield misrepresented the medical histories of all 12 children in the study and that Wakefield...

Jan 8, 2026

Dr Andrew Wakefield was unfairly vilified

Andrew Wakefield’s 1998 Lancet paper linking the MMR vaccine, bowel disease and autism was widely publicized and later retracted amid findings of serious ethical and scientific misconduct; investigato...