via Blacktriangle:
The lead researcher in the “MMR causes autism” paper (since partially retracted) was paid by a legal group suing the manufacturers of the MMR vaccine:
MMR doctor given legal aid thousands
Brian Deer
ANDREW WAKEFIELD, the former surgeon whose campaign linking the MMR vaccine with autism caused a collapse in immunisation rates, was paid more than £400,000 by lawyers trying to prove that the vaccine was unsafe.
The payments, unearthed by The Sunday Times, were part of £3.4m distributed from the legal aid fund to doctors and scientists who had been recruited to support a now failed lawsuit against vaccine manufacturers.
Critics this weekend voiced amazement at the sums, which they said created a clear conflict of interest and were the “financial engine” behind a worldwide alarm over the triple measles, mumps and rubella shot.
Investigation, anyone?
Original Lancet article abstract and the Lancet Editorial on the partial retraction.
I’m checking out your blog with envy today. I wish I knew how to do all those fancy sidebar things like blogrolls, widgets, etc.–not that I really need very much on my blog. I’m only just now learning how to fiddle with the template and it scares me to death.
It’s not that hard (I can do it). Start with a lack of a real life, add in the desire to noodle for long periods for no reason, and it’s easy.
Holy Shite… that is so unbelievable and so not surprising.