Our Special Guest: Dr. Andrew Wakefield

Dr, Andrew Wakefield is a British surgeon and researcher best known for his work regarding the MMR vaccine and its connection with autism and inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Wakefield was the lead author of a 1998 study, published in The Lancet, which reported bowel symptoms in twelve children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, to which the authors suggested a possible link with the MMR vaccine. Though stating "We did not prove an association between measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and the syndrome described," the paper tabulated parental allegations, and adopted these allegations as fact for the purpose of calculating a temporal link between receipt of the vaccine and the first onset of what were described as "behavioural symptoms.