Andrew Wakefield

Andrew Wakefield Full Name: Andrew Jeremy Wakefield Origin: Eton, Berkshire, England Occupation: Physician (formerly) Activist Skills: Propaganda Medical training Skilled physician Hobby: Spreading lies about vaccines Goals: Prove that vaccines cause autism (failing) Crimes: Anti-vaxxer conspiracies Disinformation Abuse of power Propaganda Quackery Ableism Type of Villain: Medical Propagandist

Andrew Jeremy Wakefield (born September 3rd, 1956) is a disgraced doctor from England. Wakefield is perhaps most infamous for being one of the most prominent figures of the Anti-vaxxer conspiracy, where Wakefield falsely linked the MMR vaccine to autism.

In 1998, Wakefield published a study in the medical journey The Lancet claiming that he had discovered a form of enterocolitis linked to autism, and that this was in turn caused by the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine. This study was instantly controversial and was challenged by many scientists who were unable to reproduce Wakefield's results. Despite this, Wakefield continued to appear on high-profile news programs such as 60 Minutes to call for the banning of the MMR vaccine worldwide. However, it became increasingly clear that Wakefield had an ulterior motive for his actions. The Sunday Times reported in 2004 that Wakefield and several of the parents whose children had participated in his study had been paid thousands of pounds by a lawyer preparing a lawsuit against MMR manufactures, raising the possibility of a conflict of interest. Ten of the Lancet study's co-authors later retracted the study, stating that "in this paper no causal link was established between the vaccine and autism". In November 2004, Channel 4's Dispatches program broadcast an investigation by journalist Brian Deer which found that at the time of the MMR study Wakefield had been applying for a patent for an alternative to the MMR vaccine, raising further questions about his motives. Wakefield attempted to sue Channel 4 for bankruptcy but dropped his claim in 2006 and was ordered to pay Channel 4's legal costs.

Eventually, Wakefield was ruled guilty of professional misconduct by the General Medical Council in 2010 and barred from practicing medicine. The GMC found that Wakefield had falsified research data in his study, had acted against the best interests of his patients and had mistreated developmentally delayed children. Despite this, Wakefield still continues to spread his anti-vaxxer claims to this day, directing the 2016 documentary Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe claiming that global medical authorities covered up the link between MMR and autism. His impact on anti-vaccinations have spread a massive negative impact on the rest of society, with the most notable rise of prominence being in the 2020s during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several corrupt officials, most notably U.S. president Donald Trump, have additionally supported Wakefield's claims that vaccines cause autism.