#158 - Brian Deer: A tale of scientific fraud—exposing Andrew Wakefield and the origin of the belief that vaccines cause autism

Apr 19, 2021

Brian Deer, an award-winning investigative journalist known for uncovering pharmaceutical fraud, dives deep into the infamous 1998 study by Andrew Wakefield that falsely linked vaccines to autism. He reveals the twisted motivations and unethical practices behind Wakefield's research, exposing the real-life consequences of spreading misinformation. Deer discusses the misapplication of the scientific method and how this singular falsehood continues to affect public trust in vaccines. His insights serve as a cautionary tale about the dangers of science driven by agenda rather than inquiry.

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ANECDOTE

Wakefield's Early Obsession

Andrew Wakefield, initially a surgeon, became obsessed with proving an infectious agent caused Crohn's disease.
His flawed approach to science prioritized proving himself right over rigorous testing.

INSIGHT

Scientific Courage

Wakefield's lack of scientific training hindered his ability to challenge his own hypotheses.
True scientific courage lies in actively seeking to disprove one's own theories.

ANECDOTE

PCR Sensitivity Claim

Wakefield claimed PCR was not sensitive enough to detect measles virus in Crohn's disease, despite finding it via microscopy.
This claim was met with laughter by biology students, highlighting its absurdity.

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Brian Deer is an award-winning investigative journalist best known for his coverage of the pharmaceutical industry. In this episode, he and Peter discuss the content of his book, The Doctor Who Fooled the World: Science, Deception, and the War on Vaccines, which exposes the complex and disturbing story behind the infamous 1998 Lancet paper by Andrew Wakefield linking the MMR vaccine and autism. Brian explains how doctors led by Wakefield, a lawyer, and an anti-vaccination parents’ group worked together on a study to validate their preconceived belief that the MMR vaccine caused autism. He reveals what happened behind the scenes as the study was carried out, explains problems in the lab, and discusses inconsistencies in the analysis. In the end, this is a story that serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of science driven by an agenda rather than by a spirit of open inquiry.

We discuss:

How Andrew Wakefield’s flawed approach to scientific research led to the belief that vaccines cause autism (3:25);
The importance of following the scientific method, and how Wakefield twisted the science to link measles virus to Crohn’s disease (14:15);
The backstory behind Andrew Wakefield’s infamous 1998 Lancet paper linking the MMR vaccine and autism (26:45);
The many flaws and disturbing aspects of Wakefield’s study: suffering children and failure to do strain-specific sequencing (45:15);
The epicenter of fraud: Bogus PCR testing furthering the belief that measles virus from the MMR vaccine caused autism (1:00:00);
Additional issues that contaminated the study results (1:22:15);
Discovering the misrepresented medical records for the kids involved in the study leading to the retraction of the Lancet paper and Wakefield losing his license (1:31:00);
The resurgence of the anti-vaccination movement, Brian’s motivation to write the book, and parting thoughts (1:36:45); and
More.

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