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British medical journal, The Lancet, has retracted Dr. Andrew Wakefield’s controversial 1998 paper linking autism to certain vaccines, after a disciplinary board declared his methods and findings dishonest and irresponsible. Many are debating how The Lancet’s decision reflects on medical journals' peer review process, which is supposed to prevent publication of unsound research.
We’re looking at perspectives from University of Alabama News, CBS, Left Brain/Right Brain blog, and WOOD TV.
In a video from the University of Alabama News, Dr. Alan Percy of the Civitan International Research Center says the retraction reflects well on the peer review system.
"It should restore confidence in the scientific method and scientific reporting. ... In this particular case it was clearly, it appears to be, clearly one of malfeasance in the conduct of research that is something that we are constantly on guard for, journal editors are constantly on guard for."
But a blogger at Left Brain/Right Brain, which focuses on autism science news and opinion, offers a different perspective. The writer notes that reviewers earlier found Dr. Wakefield’s research methods unethical, but The Lancet failed to remove his paper.
“How many times must a man be found guilty of not doing what was in his patients’ clinical interests before we are allowed to consider him as, well, someone who doesn’t always put his patient’s clinical interests first?”
On CBS’ “The Early Show,” Dr. Paul Offit from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia says the paper made extraordinary claims, with little evidence. He questions why The Lancet editors ignored peer reviewers’ conclusions that it should not be published.
"I think the editors should be held accountable. Four of the six people who reviewed that paper recommended that it be rejected, yet still it was published."
Dr. Wakefield's research suggested a link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccines given together, which are typically called the MMR. His conclusions set off a furor and were blamed for a plummet in vaccinations, which has been linked to dangerous outbreaks of measles in Great Britain.
On Grand Rapids’ NBC affiliate, Dr. Dan McGee from DeVos Children’s Hospital says the damage is done. McGee explains why retracting the paper won’t reverse damage that has already caused misinformation.
"All the time you hear about the supposed autism and immunization connection and you have to spend a lot of time during the day trying to refute what's bad information.”
Who do you think is to blame for the paper’s publication?
Writer: Courtney Cebula
Producer: Newsy Staff
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