Andrew Wakefield

Andrew Wakefield is a former doctor who published a now-discredited study in 1998 that falsely linked the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) to autism. His claims fueled widespread fears about vaccines, leading to a decline in vaccination rates. Subsequent investigations revealed ethical breaches and that the study was based on manipulated data. Wakefield lost his medical license due to misconduct. His work has been widely criticized for contributing to vaccine hesitancy and public health risks, despite extensive research showing no causal connection between vaccines and autism.