Andrew Wakefield, the doctor best known for his research linking autism to the MMR vaccination, has had his license revoked by Britain's medical council. The General Medical Council has ruled that Wakefield's controversial research was unethical and displayed serious professional misconduct.



The BBC reports that Wakefield continues to claim that the allegations are unfair and he intends on appealing the verdict.



Earlier this year, the medical journal The Lancet retracted a controversial 1998 paper suggesting that there was a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism.



From his studies, Wakefied concluded that the measles vaccine caused gastrointestinal problems, and that those GI problems led to autism. In his view, the virus used in the vaccine grew in the intestinal tract, leading the bowel to become porous because of inflammation. According to his theory, material then seeped from the bowel into the blood, affecting the nervous system and causing autism.



Subsequently, many parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children based on this study, though later research discredited his theory.



See also:

Special Diet May Not Help Autism

Dr. Jay Gordon: "I Have Never Liked Dr. Wakefield's 'Lance' Article"

Dr. Robert Sears: "Doubts About the MMR Vaccine Will Still Remain"

"It's Damage is Done": Dr. Cara Natterson on Link Between Autism and MMR Vaccination

Autism "Clusters": Coming to a City Near You?