Here's a video in which Andrew Wakefield, who, now that he's facing charges for research improprieties and failure to disclose conflicts of interest, now claims that he's fighting "for the children," shows his concern for the children whose blood he drew:
Yes, while recounting how at a party he drew blood from children for £5 each, Wakefield is joking about how children fainted and threw up. Yes, the audience and Wakefield are laughing.
Disgusting.
Hat tip: Black Triangle.
Here's a bit more background:
LONDON -- The Austin doctor behind a controversial study linking a common children's vaccine to the developmental disorder autism on Monday went before an investigative panel looking into misconduct allegations, including whether he took blood samples from children at a birthday party.
Britain's General Medical Council is examining claims that Dr. Andrew Wakefield failed to disclose his links to autism litigators and conducted the study without proper ethical approval. Wakefield denies any misconduct...
Wakefield stands accused of performing operations on children -- including colonoscopies and lumbar punctures -- that were arguably unnecessary, of coordinating his research with lawyers for autism patients and of taking blood from a group of children at his son's birthday party, paying them 5 pounds each for their contributions and later joking about it.
Remember the above video the next time you hear Wakefield piously pontificating about how he's "doing it for the children."
Hmmm.. performing medical experients on minors without permission, hanging onto deranged theories with no evidence, claiming persecution by those ignorant fools..
All he needs now is a castle in Translvannia and a servant called Igor. Shall I put in a bulk pitchfork and burning torch order..?
Well, it would be funny apart from the making-money-out-of-other-peoples-desparation bit.
Is there a longer clip? That's so outrageous I'm like to know what was either side of it. I hope it was said in a context where it was just in poor taste.
Bob
Here is a description of that video:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article2087463.e…
I'm so horrified I have not dared watch it.
In today's Guardian Ben Goldacre takes apart the shameful MMR story that the Observer (the Sunday version of the Guardian) ran last week, and which was subsequently covered by many other newspapers.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2128807,00.html
What's good about this is that it appears in the comment section of the newspaper, not buried in the science section, so it will hopefully reach a wider readership. Of course Professor Baron-Cohen has already responded with a letter to the observer
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/letters/story/0,,2126633,00.html
Unfortunately the Observer won't admit to the extent of it's mistakes, and by all appearances didn't even bother to check it's facts with the scientists involved in the study before publishing such a potentially dangerous article.
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,2126631,00.html
Perhaps Prof. Baron-Cohen and his colleagues should take the observer to court over this, or would that just give the anti-vaccine nuts more publicity?
I'm not going to watch it because the description of it makes me feel sick.
Speaking as a regular Observer reader, I hope they do sue for defamation (given UK libel laws I can;t see how they would fail), and I hope the editor responsable gets sacked.
There's a statement / press release from Professor Baron-Cohen at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/news/dp/2007071305
The Ahole is right when it comes to pushing snake oil;
"Andrew people won't come back." to which he replies, "Yes they will, we live in a market economy the'll come back for ten pounds." with which the crowd begins laughing again.
Who was his audience? Enron executives.
Again, nothing like having a target market composed of people that are desparate for anything.
Hope they do a thorough investigation.
You know, for kids!
Thanks Andy for showing your true colors. It's time to get back to work and continue making up data to justify performing experimentation on innocent children.
"Who was his audience?"
I'm suspecting that at least 5 among the audience are the MIND Institute's "Founding Fathers".
I want to punch this man in the chest until I can see daylight coming through the other side.