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deBriefings MMR VACCINE LINK TO AUTISM NOW CLEARER the 12 children—and subsequently, hundreds more like them— by Lorraine Fraser © 2000 were ignored by the UK Government and dismissed by "experts" Strong evidence for a link between MMR (mumps-measles- _ from the Medical Research Council. He was ordered by his rubella) vaccination and autism and bowel disease in children __ bosses at University College London not to speak to the Press. was announced by UK doctors in February 1998. In a further Now, says Professor O'Leary, a leading independent patholo- study, led by Professor John O'Leary, the measles virus was _ gist from the Republic of Ireland, the new evidence from his lab- found in the intestines of 24 out of 25 children who developed oratory must change all that. He is doubly concerned because autistic enterocolitis after an apparently healthy infancy. another independent research group in Japan has also found the peaking under oath before a hearing of the powerful US _ measles virus in the blood of three of Dr Wakefield's patients— S Congress Committee on Government Reform, Professor and they say the genetic fingerprint is "consistent" with the strain John O'Leary told how his state-of-the-art laboratory had —_ used in MMR vaccine; so further studies are now imperative. identified the measles virus—something which certainly should "The findings that I presented to Congress," said Professor not have been there—in samples taken from the intestines of no O'Leary, "are the results of independent work carried out by my fewer than 24 of the 25 patients studied. laboratory on material referred to us by Andrew Wakefield. The The findings of his vitally important study, reported for the —_ material that was given to us was sent in a blinded fashion. We first time on 6 April at the congressional hearing on autism, pro- _ did not know the name of the patients, the diagnosis or age before vide compelling new evidence linking measles virus infection our tests were completed. There was no bias in terms of chang- and this terrible affliction. And they raise urgent new concerns __ ing diagnosis or changing results to suit a particular hypothesis." over the safety of MMR vaccine—the combined mumps, measles He said that of the 25 children with autistic enterocolotis whom and rubella vaccination given routinely to hundreds of thousands _his laboratory screened, 24 harboured the measles genetic finger- of children in Britain (and around the world) every year. print. Only one of the 15 control-group children—those who do It is more than five years since not have autism—contained the virus. Rosemary Kessick, desperate to find out "That is 96 per cent compared with 6.6 why her previously healthy baby ha The findings raise urgent new per cent, which is highly statistically developed terrible bowel problems an significant and implies an association was suddenly behaving uncontrollably, concerns over the safety of between the measles virus and this dis- first sought out the man who provide MMR vaccine—the combined ease," said Professor O'Leary. "Measles Professor O'Leary with those crucial virus is present in the gut of these chil- iopsies from the autistic children. She mumps, measles and rubella dren. Tt shouldn't be there. The next approached Dr Andrew Wakefield, an vaccination given routinely to question is to find out what it is doing honorary consultant gastroenterologist at hundreds of thousands of there, and there needs to be a full inves- the Royal Free Hospital in London an . tigation of this with proper funding." an acclaimed researcher on inflammatory children every year. Parents in the UK came under enor- owel disease. mous pressure from health visitors and Dr Wakefield had never before seen a GPs to have their children vaccinated child like William, whose autism had descended on him almost with MMR, with some families thrown off doctors' medical lists overnight. When he examined the lining of William's bowel with for refusing. The Government blocked the import of measles- a fibre-optic camera, he was stunned to discover an inexplicable —_ only vaccine last year. Parents who want the single vaccine are abnormality. In February 1998, having seen 11 more patients _ forced to go overseas. If measles virus infection—from whatever with identical symptoms, he dared to suggest that parents such as source—is confirmed to be causing the chronic bowel changes Rosemary, who believe their children developed autism after —_ and brain damage in at least this group of autistic children, it may receiving the MMR vaccine, should now be taken seriously. be possible to find a treatment. Indeed, many parents have found In a scientific paper published in the leading medical journal __ that a strict diet can help their children. The Lancet, Dr Wakefield and his colleagues described how they The UK Department of Health has poured scorn on Professor discovered this same pattern of inflammation of the bowel—__ O'Leary's study, yet, at the beginning of April, the Medical which they believed was part of a new disease, autistic Research Council announced a massive survey of two million enterocolitis—in all 12 children. They reported that parents of people across the UK, which is aimed at finding out more about eight of the children said that the youngsters’ behaviour began to —_ autism and which would "be able to examine any possible associ- deteriorate after their MMR vaccinations. While there was no _ ation between autism and the MMR vaccine". The potential direct evidence of a link, Dr Wakefield said it must be properly importance of Professor O'Leary's results will not be lost on investigated. He stressed he was not anti-vaccine and only solicitors for some 200 children—large numbers of them autis- wanted safe vaccination programs for children. tic—who are already suing the makers of MMR vaccine. But within the medical establishment there is no greater heresy Professor O'Leary, who has now decided to widen his than to question the safety of a childhood vaccine. Dr Wakefield —_ collaboration with Dr Wakefield, commented: "The time now is was quickly accused of undermining parents' confidence in MMR __for real research. We need to work out what is going on." and of putting children's lives at risk because large numbers of For the hundreds of parents like Rosemary Kessick, that parents had decided to shun the vaccine. From that day on, he was _ research cannot be done soon enough. ostracised by the medical community. His meticulous studies on (Source: The Mail on Sunday, UK, 9 April 2000) JUNE — JULY 2000 NEXUS © 15 children every year.