Donny, you obviously havent had a child react to a vaccine. The propaganda is all the medical industry that pushes vacination without telling parents the facts. Parents know their child, I know my child, I knew him before the MMR vaccine and I knew there was something wrong the day after MMR vaccine

sharon, lismore, Australia

How dreary to see the Wakefield acolytes trotting out their uninformed propaganda. I once had sympathy for Wakefield, not because he was right, but because he seemed to be victimised. Now we know his research was shoddy, his laboratory incompetent, and he was paid £500 000 by antivaccine lawyers.

Donny, Peterborough, UK

Parents never want to admit that their faulty genes are the problem ... it has to be the vaccine ... or the doctor's surgery ... or the prevailing wind ... or the number of cans of custard in the pantry ... but never, ever could it be faulty genes ... After all, a comedian & a stripper told them so

Kev, Nottingham, UK

If the Government acted in good faith it would listen to parents rather than hide behind statistics. Every time they blank out the parents they prove themselves wrong.

John Stone, London, UK

The link between MMR and autism has continually been 'discredited' by the medical establishment and reported as such in the UK media.
Despite the evidience the link has NOT been 'disproved'.
Too much weight is given to the spin and not enough to the science.

Ian Mills, Wonersh, UK

G-B syndrome is very rare, but the chances of it occuring increase after vaccination. Autism is less rare and the chances of it occuring neither increase no decrease with vaccination. The relative levels of the two are irrelevant. Yellow Card data does not and cannot "attribute causality".

Anthony Asbury, Preston,

Now that's great news!

I hope it stops all the condemnation which was piled on his head when he quite obviously had made a very serious discovery.

We Brits are guilty of not listening to anything properly when it requires funding and research.

Annie, Bath, UK

I watched my healthy son nosedive into regressive autism shortly following his vaccinations. Countless other parents have recounted to me near-identical accounts of what happened to their own children. Multiple vaccinations have been a disaster for thousands of children, and will cost us millions.

David Thrower, Warrington, UK

On the contrary, a great deal is known about the MMR vaccine, which has been given successfully to millions of children. Death rates from measles, mumps, and rubella have declined to essentially zero among vaccinated populations. Wakefield has fooled many parents and their gratitude is misplaced.

Steven, Washington, United States

Well done to the Times for enlightening parents in this country to the huge amount of support that Dr Wakefield enjoys in the U.S. Contrary to what our Government would have us believe we are not the only country to have an autism epidemic linked to vaccination.

Deb, Dartford, UK

Yellow Card (UK) reports the MMR vaccines indisputably shows that there are approximately 15 times more reports of autism than of Guillain-Barre syndrome, a recognised adverse reaction to these vaccines. We take no notice of 83 reports of autism but attribute causality to 5 reports of G-B syndrome?

Isabella Thomas, Wells, Somerset

Abandon MMR without any evidence, and 'herd immunity' decreases, it already has.
When future epidemics run roit, remember your own ignorances.
Wakefield was paid over £750,000 by American law firms to establish a link, for future lawsuits.
Bury your heads in the sand...and hang them in shame.

Medix, Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.

Not sure what relevance the value of a man's home has in this important issue but since you have decided to raise the matter we should surely, for balance, now be given full details of Paul Offit's real estate ownership.
Dr W Osler, London.

William Osler, London,

Now you know why any politician being endorsed by actors and the like should be held in deep suspicion - like attracts like. Showbiz glitter is fools gold.

Eddie Reader, birmingham, england

The evidence of parents that the MMR was implicated in their child's withdrawal into autism is both overwhelming and compelling. The decision by health officials to ignore this evidence, and abandon these children to a life of distress and pain, will return to haunt them.

Bill Welsh, Glasgow,

Can someone in the U.K. explain to me why Wakefield must wait until "next spring" before his inquisitors announce their findings? After all, the persecution of Wakefield began somewhere in 1998...when he first published his research. Ten years later and the inquisitors still can't make their case.

Bob Moffitt, Sloatsburg, United States

Parents worldwide that have damaged children from the MMR are grateful to Dr Wakefield for his on going research. His research supports OUR observations that seeing our children regress into autism with bowel and inflammatory issues is evidence enough. Too many are damaged they deserve this research

Polly Tommey, London, UK

Snake oil salesmen have a long and illustrious history in Texas. I'm sure that he'll feel right at home here.

I'm sure that some parents are hugely grateful to Dr. Wakefield. That does not change the irreparable damage he has done.

Seronique, Houston, USA

Is 17 vaccines at the age of 4 months acceptable when babies immune systems are so immature at 12 months they get 2 more vaccines and at 13 months 4 more. A total of 22 vaccines at the age of 13 months I would call this a child protection issue it is downright dangerous. Autism ADHD are epidemics.

Larissa , Bexley, Kent

1 important fact - well documented is that the measles death-rate had declined 95% BEFORE any measles vaccination had been introduced. This was due to better nutrition, clean water, improved living conditions & medical services. Why risk MMR when no one can say why 1 in 87 children are now autistic?

Alf Percival, Bury St Edmunds, UK

Dr. Bernadine Healy, the former head of the National Institutes of Health, says public health officials have intentionally avoided researching whether subsets of children are susceptible to vaccine side effects.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/12/cbsnews_investigates/main4086809.shtml

Emily , Dallas,

This article is ill-informed. Parents are hugely grateful to Dr Wakefield for the commitment he has shown to children damaged by the MMR and know him to be a man of honesty, humility and dedication. Parents are not vaccinating their children because by now everyone knows a child damaged by the MMR.

Susan, London, UK

Many in the Autism community in the US support Dr. Wakefield.
We believe vaccines have not been tested properly and are unsafe. We also understand why more and more families are refusing to vaccinate; they are highly educated people and understand the science. We stand behind Dr. Wakefield 100%.

Maurine Meleck, North Augusta, SC, USA

An, as yet, unpublished UK study has now detected autism in 1.5 per hundred children. One wonders when people will grasp the nettle of this epidemic. Wakefield has upset those charged with maintaining vaccination levels, but are they interested in the catastrophic rise in autism? I think not.

Richard, Jersey,

I saw my own son become severely autistic after MMR. Experts keep telling us Wakefield is wrong - and yet after all this time they have come up with nothing else. With what I have to cope with on a daily basis, caring for my son - and it is truly awful sometimes- reminds me to believe my own eyes.

Allison, Shropshire, UK

Little is known about the MMR vaccine - Doctor's etc., keen for us to go with the MMR, but as a parent I could not do that, did let my child have the first dose but not the second............................I still do not feel it is safe, just a instinct.

vesta, Toyrqua,