MMR docs' links with drugs firms

http://icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk/...siteid=5000 2

Sunday Mercury
MMR docs' links with drugs firms

Feb 29 2004

By Fionnuala Burke, Sunday Mercury


Four leading Midland doctors who deemed the controversial MMR vaccine
safe have links to the drug giants who make or supply the jab.

Campaigners have called for the General Medical Council to investigate
the senior Government advisors, who all hold scientific posts in the
Midlands and sat on key committees which declared the vaccine safe.

Professor James Chipman from Birmingham University, a member of the
Committee on Safety of Medicines, received research funding from
GlaxoSmithKline, suppliers of the MMR vaccine Priorix.

Consultant cardiologist Dr Colin Forfar from John Radcliffe Hospital
in Oxford, a shareholder in GlaxoSmithKline, is also a member of the
influential committee.

Professor Terence Stephenson, from the Queen's Medical Centre in
Nottingham, sits on the same committee but his travel expenses are
paid by the same drugs giant.

Professor Michael Langman from Birmingham University is the Chairman
of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

His team received research support from Merck Sharp and Dohme, which
manufactures MMR vaccine.

Now Jonathan Harris, West Midlands campaigner for vaccination
awareness group JABS (Justice Awareness and Basic Support) is calling
for the GMC to investigate the work of the medics.


Only two of Mr Harris's six children had the MMR vaccine and both of
them are autistic.

"A total of 19 Government experts are connected to the drugs
industries that deal with the MMR vaccines," he said. "Shouldn't this
be considered a conflict of interests?

"These experts are advising the Government about the safety of the MMR
vaccine at the same time as receiving payments or holding shares in
the companies selling the jab.

"The Government requested that the GMC investigate the work of Dr
Andrew Wakefield, who first proposed the link between MMR and autism.

"They declared it was 'a matter of urgency' when it emerged that he
had received funding from lawyers representing parents of children who
felt they had been damaged by the vaccine.

"So why shouldn't they investigate these doctors who have links to the
drugs industry while they are at it?"

The doctors' watchdog GMC agreed to consider a full investigation into
the work of Dr Wakefield last week at the request of the Health
Minister John Reid.

The medical researcher provoked a furore when he first proposed a link
between MMR and autism in a paper published in The Lancet magazine in
1998. In a press conference later he also recommended parents opt for
single jabs.

The editor of The Lancet has since said that he would not have printed
the study if he had known Dr Wakefield had received funding for it
from the Legal Aid Board. It emerged that Dr Wakefield received
£55,000 from the Board to investigate claims by parents that their
children had been damaged by the measles, mumps and rubella jab.

And the GMC has agreed to consider a full inquiry into the study
following a request from the Secretary of Health John Reid stating
that it "was a matter of urgency".

A spokesman for the GMC confirmed that the four Midland medics were
registered with them but declined to say whether it would consider
opening an investigation into their work and links with the drugs
firms.

None of the doctors were available for comment last night. Their
personal and non-personal interests have all been openly declared to
the independent advisory committees on which they sit.






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You're right. The members of the committees should not have these links.

However, there is still no evidence that MMR causes autism.

Jeff