SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 25/02/04

Socialist MSP defends Doctor Wakefield

Scottish Socialist Party Health Spokesperson Carolyn Leckie MSP today lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament in defence of Doctor Andrew Wakefield and pointing up fundamental conflicts of interests in UK vaccination policy bodies.
Carolyn's motion is in response to the propaganda onslaught against Doctor Wakefield and those campaigning for further research into the MMR vaccine.
Carolyn said;
"Our research shows conclusively deep seated conflicts of interest on the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and the Medicines Control Agency, including direct financial interests in pharmaceutical companies that manufacture vaccines.
"We are calling on the Scottish Executive and the Chief Scientist Office to proactively seek to fund and enable replicative clinical research to identify the cause, or causes, of autism, with particular reference to gastrointestinal dysfunction identified by parents, Dr Wakefield and others."
[ends]

Editors notes

Full text of motion to Scottish Parliament

S2M-00956 Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): Conflicts of Interest and Vaccination Policy - That the Parliament notes the lecture given by Member of Congress, Representative Dave Weldon, M.D. to the Institute of Medicine, of the United States of America on 9 February 2004 in which he cites the in-built conflict of interest of the Center for Disease Control, which "is tasked with promoting vaccination, ensuring high vaccination rates and monitoring the safety of vaccines", which means that "they serve as their own watchdog - neither common nor desirable when seeking unbiased research"; recognises that this same conflict is replicated in the United Kingdom by our system and believes that such a conflict fatally undermines confidence in vaccination policy and is untenable; notes the interests, including direct financial interests in pharmaceutical companies that manufacture vaccines, of members of bodies such as the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, the Committee on Safety of Medicines and the Medicines Control Agency; notes that Dr Andrew Wakefield has issued a full statement robustly defending the allegations against him and welcoming any investigation into his research; recognises that his findings have been replicated by, for example, Dr Arthur Krigsman, consultant paediatric gastro-enterologist at Harvard University and Kawashima, Takayuki et al, in "Detection and Sequencing of Measles Virus from Peripheral Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Autism", Digestive Diseases and Sciences vol. 45, No. 4, April 2000, pp723-729; is concerned to note the lack of government-funded medical research and examination of autistic children; notes with concern the physical findings of persistent measles virus in the guts and cerebro-spinal fluid of autistic children with bowel problems who have been examined, and believes that the Scottish Executive and the Chief Scientist Office should proactively seek to fund and enable replicative clinical research to identify the cause, or causes, of autism, with particular reference to gastrointestinal dysfunction identified by parents, Dr Wakefield and others.
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Members of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation who have declared interests in pharmaceutical companies:
Professor Lewis D. Ritchie: Links with Glaxo Wellcome and Zeneca Dr Barbara Bannister: Educational sponsorship by SmithKline Beecham, holds portfolio of shares including Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham Dr. David Goldblatt: Occasional member of expert panels for SmithKline Beecham, Wyeth and Pasteur Merieux.
Professor Roy Anderson: Directorships of Wellcome Trust, Decode, IBHSC; share holdings in Glaxo, Zeneca and SmithKline Beecham.
Dr. Karl Nicholson: 'Consultant' for Glaxo.
Professor Keith Cartwright: industry part-funding of his team to evaluate candidate meningococcal vaccines.

The 37 members of the Committee on Safety of Medicines claim 82 "personal interests" in the pharmaceutical industry.
Professor J. Chipman: Research grants from Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham.
Professor H. Dargie: consultancy with SmithKline Beecham.
Dr M. Donaghy: shares in Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham.
Dr B. Evans fees from SmithKline Beecham, shares in Glaxo Wellcome.
Professor J.F. Smyth has carried out clinical trials for SmithKline Beecham and declares "occasional" meetings with the company.
10 of the 37 have interests in SmithKline Beecham.