Episode 2-Andrew Wakefield and the MMR Scare

So what do the supporters of Wakefield say? Before examining what happened, it's important to understand why many defended Wakefield.

Supporters argued that he was asking questions that deserved investigation.

They would point out that many parents reported noticing developmental changes in their children after vaccination.

They argued that medicine should investigate concerns rather than dismiss them.

And definitely no one deserves to have their concerns dismissed without a true investigation and sincere discussion.

Some believe Wakefield became a target because he challenged powerful institutions.

Even today, many who distrust vaccine recommendations view Wakefield sympathetically.

To them, he wasn't trying to create fear, he was trying to raise concerns.

Whether that's true is part of what we're exploring today.

The critics of Wakefield tell a very different story.

They argue that his work was scientifically weak from the beginning.

His famous study included only twelve children.

Compare that to most widely publicized study with hundreds, thousands, lots of times, even tens of thousands of participants.

More importantly, critics argue that later investigations uncovered serious ethical and scientific problems that went far beyond ordinary scientific disagreement.

From this perspective, the issue wasn't that Wakefield asked questions.

The issue was how he conducted and presented his research.

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