The Department of health has felt it necessary to publish a detailed
critique
http://www.doh.gov.uk/pdfs/mmrresponse.pdf
rejecting any suggestion by Dr Andrew Wakefield and Dr Peter Fletcher that,
MMR vaccines were licensed prematurely.
(Combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccines: Response of the Medicines
Control Agency and Department of Health to issues raised in papers
published in "Adverse Drug Reactions and Toxicological Reviews, volume 19
no 4, 2000 ")
The critique is scathing about Wakefield's paper yet he appeared on
television still prepared to stand by his view that MMR may pose a risk.
Wise, (BMJ 2001;322:130 ( 20 January ) notes that Dr Wakefield's claims
have been refuted repeatedly.
Has Wakefield got it wrong or is there a possibility that the evidence is
less certain than it seems?
John Platt
