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| MMR scare doctor faces GMC panel | MMR scare doctor faces GMC panel |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| The doctor who first suggested a link between the MMR vaccine and autism is due to face charges of serious professional misconduct. | The doctor who first suggested a link between the MMR vaccine and autism is due to face charges of serious professional misconduct. |
| If found guilty, Dr Andrew Wakefield, who is charged along with two colleagues, could be struck off. | If found guilty, Dr Andrew Wakefield, who is charged along with two colleagues, could be struck off. |
| The General Medical Council alleges the trio acted unethically while carrying out their controversial research. | The General Medical Council alleges the trio acted unethically while carrying out their controversial research. |
| They are also accused of being dishonest and irresponsible in dealings with The Lancet medical journal. | They are also accused of being dishonest and irresponsible in dealings with The Lancet medical journal. |
| Immunisation rates | Immunisation rates |
| The case centres on research, based on a study of 12 children, and carried out by Dr Wakefield, and colleagues Professor John Walker-Smith, and Professor Simon Murch, which raised doubts about the safety of the triple vaccine. | The case centres on research, based on a study of 12 children, and carried out by Dr Wakefield, and colleagues Professor John Walker-Smith, and Professor Simon Murch, which raised doubts about the safety of the triple vaccine. |
| The suggestion of the 1998 research paper - published in the Lancet - was that MMR was linked not only to autism, but also to the bowel disorder Crohn's disease. | The suggestion of the 1998 research paper - published in the Lancet - was that MMR was linked not only to autism, but also to the bowel disorder Crohn's disease. |
| It led to falling numbers of parents immunising their children and a row over whether the then prime minister, Tony Blair, had vaccinated his son, Leo. | It led to falling numbers of parents immunising their children and a row over whether the then prime minister, Tony Blair, had vaccinated his son, Leo. |
| But the medical establishment has repeatedly argued that the triple vaccine - which protects against measles, mumps and rubella - is perfectly safe. | But the medical establishment has repeatedly argued that the triple vaccine - which protects against measles, mumps and rubella - is perfectly safe. |
| And a host of major studies has since failed to find any evidence of a link between MMR and autism. | And a host of major studies has since failed to find any evidence of a link between MMR and autism. |
| MMR COVERAGE Target level of coverage for any of the childhood vaccinations is 95%MMR introduced in October 1988 and reached a high of 92% coverage in 1992-93 in EnglandUp until 1998 coverage hovered at 91%-92%In 1998-99, the year Wakefield published, coverage dropped to 88%By 2003-04 coverage had fallen to 80%Coverage has started to creep up again, and in 2005-06 it had risen to 84% | MMR COVERAGE Target level of coverage for any of the childhood vaccinations is 95%MMR introduced in October 1988 and reached a high of 92% coverage in 1992-93 in EnglandUp until 1998 coverage hovered at 91%-92%In 1998-99, the year Wakefield published, coverage dropped to 88%By 2003-04 coverage had fallen to 80%Coverage has started to creep up again, and in 2005-06 it had risen to 84% |
| The GMC disciplinary panel will examine whether the doctors failed to get proper ethical approval for their research, and then carried out procedures on children that had not been sanctioned by the ethics committee. | The GMC disciplinary panel will examine whether the doctors failed to get proper ethical approval for their research, and then carried out procedures on children that had not been sanctioned by the ethics committee. |
| It is also alleged that some of the children who took part did not qualify for the study on the basis of their behavioural symptoms. | It is also alleged that some of the children who took part did not qualify for the study on the basis of their behavioural symptoms. |
| The doctors are also accused of failing to tell The Lancet how they recruited patients - leading to inaccuracies in the published research. | |
| Dr Wakefield also faces a charge of failing to disclose funding he received from the Legal Aid Board to carry out separate research - into whether parents had grounds to sue the manufacturers of the MMR vaccine. | Dr Wakefield also faces a charge of failing to disclose funding he received from the Legal Aid Board to carry out separate research - into whether parents had grounds to sue the manufacturers of the MMR vaccine. |
| He is also accused of abusing his position of trust as a medical practitioner by taking blood from children at a birthday party after offering them money. | He is also accused of abusing his position of trust as a medical practitioner by taking blood from children at a birthday party after offering them money. |
| In a statement Dr Wakefield's solicitor said: "Dr Wakefield continues to vigorously deny any allegation of wrongdoing." | In a statement Dr Wakefield's solicitor said: "Dr Wakefield continues to vigorously deny any allegation of wrongdoing." |
| The Lancet has disowned Dr Wakefield's 1998 paper, the editor admitting he would not have published it if he had known about what he called a "fatal conflict of interest". | The Lancet has disowned Dr Wakefield's 1998 paper, the editor admitting he would not have published it if he had known about what he called a "fatal conflict of interest". |
| Dr Philip Minor, of the National Institutes of Biological Standards and Control, said: "The MMR vaccine is one of the safest, best studied vaccines, and yet vaccination rates are still not as high as they were before Wakefield sparked this controversy. | Dr Philip Minor, of the National Institutes of Biological Standards and Control, said: "The MMR vaccine is one of the safest, best studied vaccines, and yet vaccination rates are still not as high as they were before Wakefield sparked this controversy. |
| "Measles, mumps and rubella are terrible infections which vaccinations have largely eradicated in the UK. | "Measles, mumps and rubella are terrible infections which vaccinations have largely eradicated in the UK. |
| "It is essential, not to suffer the devastating repercussions of these infections, that we continue to vaccinate our children." | "It is essential, not to suffer the devastating repercussions of these infections, that we continue to vaccinate our children." |
| The campaign group, Jabs, which believes MMR has damaged children, plans to demonstrate in support of Dr Wakefield outside the GMC. | The campaign group, Jabs, which believes MMR has damaged children, plans to demonstrate in support of Dr Wakefield outside the GMC. |