Three deny serious professional misconduct
Clinical care of children main concern, GMC told
* Karen McVeigh
* The Guardian
The doctor who first sparked widespread safety fears over the MMR vaccine said yesterday that his paramount concern was "clinical care" for children who had developed autism after being vaccinated.
Giving evidence for the first time at a General Medical Council disciplinary hearing, where he is accused of serious professional misconduct, Dr Andrew Wakefield also denied he was motivated by an interest in litigation. He defended the way he carried out research which caused national controversy and a drop in vaccine rates.
Claims against Wakefield, 51, and two other doctors relate to investigations for their study on 12 children with bowel disorders carried out between 1996 and 1998. It is alleged Wakefield accepted £50,000 for research to support parents' attempts to fight for compensation.
Wakefield said: "In a research capacity, I was fascinated by the possibility that something could be done to help those children in their plight, but it was secondary to getting help for them. The reason those parents were contacting me was nothing to do with litigation."
Wakefield, a senior lecturer and academic who admitted at the hearing he had no knowledge of autism, nor any qualifications in paediatrics or pathology, also denied submitting young children to a series of painful tests in an attempt to stand up his hypothesis.
He said he had "no role whatsoever in determining clinically whether those tests should or shouldn't take place". He said all the tests were ordered by Professor John Walker-Smith, one of his co-accused. He referred to Walker-Smith as "one of the most eminent paediatric gastroenterologists in the world".
Earlier, Wakefield and his wife, Carmel, were cheered by about 60 supporters as they arrived at the hearing in central London.
Wakefield said he first published a paper on a possible link between the measles vaccine and inflammatory bowel problems such as Crohn's disease in 1995, after which he received calls from parents, beginning with the mother of "child two". He said she told him a "compelling story" - that she believed her child had developed autism after receiving the MMR vaccine.
Wakefield, who resigned from the Royal Free hospital in north London over the row, now works at the Thoughtful House Centre for Children in Austin, Texas.
Wakefield, Walker-Smith and the third defendant, Professor Simon Murch, all deny serious professional misconduct. The hearing continues.
Clinical care of children main concern, GMC told
* Karen McVeigh
* The Guardian
The doctor who first sparked widespread safety fears over the MMR vaccine said yesterday that his paramount concern was "clinical care" for children who had developed autism after being vaccinated.
Giving evidence for the first time at a General Medical Council disciplinary hearing, where he is accused of serious professional misconduct, Dr Andrew Wakefield also denied he was motivated by an interest in litigation. He defended the way he carried out research which caused national controversy and a drop in vaccine rates.
Claims against Wakefield, 51, and two other doctors relate to investigations for their study on 12 children with bowel disorders carried out between 1996 and 1998. It is alleged Wakefield accepted £50,000 for research to support parents' attempts to fight for compensation.
Wakefield said: "In a research capacity, I was fascinated by the possibility that something could be done to help those children in their plight, but it was secondary to getting help for them. The reason those parents were contacting me was nothing to do with litigation."
Wakefield, a senior lecturer and academic who admitted at the hearing he had no knowledge of autism, nor any qualifications in paediatrics or pathology, also denied submitting young children to a series of painful tests in an attempt to stand up his hypothesis.
He said he had "no role whatsoever in determining clinically whether those tests should or shouldn't take place". He said all the tests were ordered by Professor John Walker-Smith, one of his co-accused. He referred to Walker-Smith as "one of the most eminent paediatric gastroenterologists in the world".
Earlier, Wakefield and his wife, Carmel, were cheered by about 60 supporters as they arrived at the hearing in central London.
Wakefield said he first published a paper on a possible link between the measles vaccine and inflammatory bowel problems such as Crohn's disease in 1995, after which he received calls from parents, beginning with the mother of "child two". He said she told him a "compelling story" - that she believed her child had developed autism after receiving the MMR vaccine.
Wakefield, who resigned from the Royal Free hospital in north London over the row, now works at the Thoughtful House Centre for Children in Austin, Texas.
Wakefield, Walker-Smith and the third defendant, Professor Simon Murch, all deny serious professional misconduct. The hearing continues.
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