The Lancet medical journal formally retracted a paper on Tuesday that caused a 12-year international battle over links between the three-in-one childhood MMR vaccine and autism.
The paper, published in 1998 and written by British doctor Andrew Wakefield, suggested the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot might be linked to autism and bowel disease.
His assertion, since widely discredited, caused one of the biggest medical rows in a generation and led to a steep drop in the number of vaccinations in the United States, Britain and other parts of Europe, prompting a rise in cases of measles.
“It has become clear that several elements of the 1998 paper by Wakefield … are incorrect,” the internationally renowned scientific journal said in a statement.
A disciplinary panel of Britain’s General Medical Council (GMC) ruled last week that Wakefield had presented his research in an “irresponsible and dishonest” way and shown a “callous disregard” for the suffering of the children he studied.
It also ruled he had brought the medical profession “into disrepute.”
Adam Finn, professor of pediatrics at Bristol University, welcomed the Lancet’s move but said it had been too long coming.
“This is not before time. Let’s hope this will do something to re-establish the good reputation of this excellent vaccine,” he said in a statement to reporters.
mumps do really suck, it hurts so much *’”