As a pediatrician reading this study back in 1998 I was shocked that someone had found evidence of measles virus living in the intestinal cells of children on the autistic spectrum. As a neophyte in the field of autism then, the article made me think a little about the vaccines that were preventing 3 of the so called "usual childhood diseases" that we all contracted. So routine were these viruses that when I contracted one, my brother and all my friends were moved into my room so that they could catch it and be done with the process for life.
The purpose of vaccinating against these viruses was to prevent the 1 in 100,000 chances of measles encephalitis, mumps orchitis leading to sterility in male children and rubella or german measles which could be devastating to a pregnant mom and her fetus. While these viruses were known to have these consequences, there were no studies to corroborate their safetey or the remote possibility of adverse sequellae we are trying to address. In fact, the original measles virus vaccine dating back to the 1950's was insufficient to provide life long immunity thus leading the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend and ultimately require a second vaccination before college entry and prior to entering kindergarten.
There was never any question as from whom Dr. Wakefield received his funding. Is funding from anti-vaccine lawyers and parents any different than funding from pharmaceutical companies who promote many drugs without adequate testing on children? Is it any different than drug companies pushing swine flu vaccine with many known potentially toxic adjuvants on pregnant mothers and 6 month olds without adequate testing?
In truth, I am not anti vaccine. What I am against is the notion that we should believe everything we hear that is perpetrated by drug companies and the congress who is lobbied by drug companies. In fact, thanks to Dr Wakefield's work and the work of others in the autism community, we have learned about the high incidence of inflammatory bowel/irritable bowel syndromes affecting the large percentage of patients on the autism spectrum. Regardless of the coincidental findings of bowel disease, measles viruses inhabiting the bowel, lymphonodular hyperplasia in the ileum or the fact that most of our patients dont even know what a normal bowel movement is, it is important to stay on task to determine which of our patients is susceptible to these issues and what the genetic and environmental triggers are at play in determining bowel problems.
Yes, Lancet retracted the study as being biased. However, there are many studies that seem to be biased in favor of continuing the path we are on; the one where autism is increasing exponentially and pediatricians like me are scratching our heads trying to solve this mystery.