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Ethical and Legal Debates on Vaccine Infodemics - Cureus

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros personal vaccination records were falsified, according to a bombshell investigation carried out by the countrys current comptroller general. Records show he received a COVID-19 immunization in Sao Paulo in July 2021, Reuters reportedthough a plethora of evidence was uncovered to show that the politicians card had likely been faked. He wasnt even in the city at the time, the investigation found, and the nurse who purportedly administered the injection denied ever seeing Bolsonaro. In addition to this information, the vaccine lot number listed on Bolsonaros paperwork was not yet available on the date provided. Bolsonaros home was raided last year in connection with the investigationduring which time he denied ever receiving the vaccine or tampering with his medical records. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic Bolsonaro repeatedly downplayed the importance of vaccination and social distancing measures while grossly exaggerating the potential side effects of immunization.

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Jair Bolsonaro's Vaccination Records Were Falsified, Probe Finds - The Daily Beast

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Development and use of machine learning algorithms in vaccine target selection | npj Vaccines - Nature.com

UK's public health agency warned that an outbreak of measles in England could spread to other towns and cities if action is not taken to boost vaccinations. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) declared a national incident- a signal for a growing public health risk- as it said that 216 confirmed cases and 103 probable cases in the West Midlands were recorded since October 1 last year. The majority cases have been reported in children aged under 10. UKHSA chief executive Jenny Harries said, With vaccine uptake in some communities so low, there is now a very real risk of seeing the virus spread in other towns and cities.

The UK health chief also said that immediate action was needed to boost uptake of the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine as UK needs a long-term concerted effort to protect individuals and to prevent large measles outbreaks.

World Health Organisation and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in November that there had been a "staggering" annual rise in measles cases and deaths globally in 2022.

Measles- one of the most contagious viruses in the world- is preventable by two doses of vaccine but efforts to contain it have been disrupted worldwide owing to the Covid pandemic.

In Britain, the MMR vaccination is part of the routine childhood immunisation programme offered by the state-funded National Health Service but the UKHSA said in some areas in London coverage of the first MMR dose at 2 years of age was as low as 69.5%. In July, the health body also warned of a steady rise in measles cases and the risk of a resurgence of the virus.

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Measles outbreak in England, most cases in children: What UK health agency said - Hindustan Times

Maldives and Sri Lanka have achieved hepatitis B control, the World Health Organization announced today after an expert panel verified that the two countries have had consistently high coverage of hepatitis B vaccine doses in infants and a low prevalence of the deadly disease, corroborated through serological surveys conducted recently in both countries.

I congratulate and commend Maldives and Sri Lanka on their achievement which once again demonstrates the earnest efforts being made by the health leaders and officials, health workers and the people of these countries towards health and well-being of communities, said Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director WHO South-East Asia.

The Expert Panel for Verification of Hepatitis B Control in WHO South-East Asia Region reviewed childhood immunization data from Maldives and Sri Lanka that showed consistent over 90% coverage with Hepatitis B vaccine doses provided during infancy for past many years. The experts also reviewed the findings of national surveys conducted among children in 2022-2023, in these countries.

Based on the evidence presented to it, the Expert Panel concluded that the standards required for verification of Hepatitis B control have been met in both these countries and hence recommended that this important public health target has been achieved in Maldives and Sri Lanka, said Dr Supamit Chunsuttiwat, chairperson of the Regional Expert Panel for verification of Hepatitis B control in South-East Asia.

The two countries join Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Thailand, who achieved the same feat in 2019.

Preventing Hepatitis B infection in infancy substantially reduces chronic infections and cases of liver cancer and cirrhosis in adulthood.

Hepatitis control continues to be an important public health initiative in the South-East Asia Region of WHO that comprises of 11 countries and is home to a quarter of the worlds population. The Region has an estimated 60 million people living with chronic hepatitis B and 218,000 dying every year of hepatitis B and C. Of the persons eligible for antiviral treatment only about 10% know their status and less than 5% of them are on treatment.

In 2016, the South-East Asia Regional Immunization Technical Advisory Group endorsed a regional goal of hepatitis B control with a target of reducing hepatitis B prevalence to less than 1% among children aged at least 5 years.

Hepatitis B vaccine, as a part of the pentavalent vaccine, has been included in the national childhood immunization schedule of all countries of the Region, with three doses of this vaccine provided to children during their first year of life. Eight countries of the Region also have a policy of providing a birth dose of Hepatitis B vaccine to the newborn babies.

The Region made good progress in improving immunization coverage of the pentavalent vaccine until 2019. However, there was a decline in the coverage in several countries of the Region in 2020 and 2021 following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Intensive efforts in countries have resulted in the revival of childhood immunization coverage to pre-pandemic levels in several countries and the WHO and UNICEF estimates for 2022 show that the overall coverage of 3rd dose of pentavalent vaccine has recovered to the pre-pandemic level of 91% in the Region, a sharp increase from 82% coverage level reported in 2021.

Dr Khetrapal Singh said that countries also need to focus on improving the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose which continues to have a relatively slow uptake with an estimated coverage of only 58% in the Region in 2022. One of the key barriers for achieving high hepatitis B vaccine birth dose coverage remains the high proportion of home deliveries, that do not allow timely access of the Hepatitis B vaccine to these newborns, she said.

Inequities in immunization service delivery, suboptimal awareness and/training of health staff at birthing facilities; particularly in terms of false contraindications and/or fear of adverse events following immunization also contribute to sub-optimal coverage of Hepatitis B vaccination coverage, the Regional Director said.

The control of hepatitis B through immunization is a priority for our Region. Achieving the control goal is a critical step as we progress towards elimination of mother to child transmission of the hepatitis B virus, she said.

WHOs triple elimination initiative encourages countries to simultaneously commit to such elimination together with HIV and syphilis further pushing the agenda for integrated service delivery.

"Hepatitis must be prevented and treated. In addition to vaccination, continued efforts are needed to scale up other preventive measures such as safe injection, safe blood and infection prevention and control, the Regional Director said.

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Maldives, Sri Lanka achieve Hepatitis B control - World Health Organization

No thanks, not this time.

I think Ill pass on that one.

When is this all going to end?

Ive had enough.

You would think these are responses to irksome requests for a donation or offering of a second portion of an unsavory entre. They are actually the common responses I am hearing this year when I recommend seasonal respiratory virus vaccinations (flu, COVID, and RSV) to my primary care patients, and it has me worried.

This year, more so than any in recent memory, I have observed a very negative way of thinking about adult vaccines, especially the most recent COVID-19 booster. While there has always been some degree of apprehension or vaccine hesitancy, this year it has been replaced by a preponderance of outright rejection. A recent Gallup survey revealed that 51% of adults surveyed did not plan to get the newest COVID booster.

Why is this so? Studies have sighted a variety of reasons, including lack of trust in the organizations making, promoting, and providing guidance on vaccination, as well as safety concerns. What I have noticed in my practice is more negativity and apathy. Rather than expressing a sense that seasonal vaccines are important and acknowledging their worries about safety or tolerability, many patients are now presenting a hard stop. A firm no. Clinicians may consequently be less motivated to provide a counterpoint.

With the COVID booster, the prevailing sentiment is enough is enough and people who got the vaccine are getting COVID anyway. My patients memory of our conversations about how vaccines are not necessarily designed to prevent infection entirely but rather to limit severity has faded. False narratives about the COVID vaccines, amplified by social media, seem to have congealed and hardened since the pandemic peak.

My colleagues and I have pondered how to address this heightened resistance to vaccination while we concurrently watch hospitalization rates climb and see our message boxes fill to the brim with requests for appointments and medicines to treat a triple-demic surge of COVID, influenza, and RSV, among other common winter viruses. One approach to those who are refusing vaccines with absolutely not, no way, no how ferocity is to return to the basics and review some facts:

Vaccines are among the most positively impactful health interventions in human history.

They may not always prevent infection, but significantly reduce their severity and save lives.

Side effects are usually very mild like arm soreness, fatigue, achiness, or low-grade fever.

No medical intervention is without some risk. Serious adverse reactions from vaccines are far more rare than severe consequences of the illnesses they mitigate or prevent.

There is no such thing as too many vaccines. We are fortunate to live in a time when new technology has enabled development of new vaccines faster than ever before. Our immune systems can handle it.

There are no more adult vaccine mandates. We are back to the fundamental idea that vaccination is one of the most foundational and effective ways to stay alive and well and protect our community.

Even if you are not concerned for your own health, consider the vulnerable babies, pregnant people, chronically ill, and immunocompromised people you inevitably cross paths with. For reluctant readers, I implore you to reassess your views and consider a more positive mindset on COVID boosters, flu shots and, if you are age 60 and over, RSV vaccine. Now that no one is forcing your hand, make it your own thoughtful and healthy decision.

Jeffrey Millstein is an internist and regional medical director for Penn Primary Care.

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Combating 'No thanks' replies to respiratory vaccines | Expert Opinion - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Vaxart, Inc.

- 10,000-subject Phase 2b study would evaluate Vaxarts next generation oral pill XBB COVID-19 vaccine against an approved mRNA vaccine comparator -

- Project NextGen is a $5 billion initiative by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop innovative vaccines and therapeutics providing broader and more durable protection for COVID-19 -

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Jan. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vaxart, Inc. (Nasdaq: VXRT) today announced that the United States Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) has awarded the Company $9.27 million to fund preparation for a 10,000 subject Phase 2b clinical study evaluating Vaxarts oral pill XBB COVID-19 vaccine candidate against an approved mRNA vaccine comparator.

We are very honored to receive this BARDA award, which will support the innovative approach of our oral pill vaccine platform, said Dr. Michael Finney, Vaxarts Interim Chief Executive Officer. We believe our oral pill vaccine platform may ultimately hold the promise of revolutionizing how we fight pandemics and how we vaccinate against several infectious diseases.Our team is very excited about this contract, which allows us to prepare to move forward with our oral COVID vaccine program, together with BARDA.

We believe we have the chance to improve on existing vaccines in two important ways, said Dr. James F. Cummings, Vaxarts Chief Medical Officer. First, a thermostable pill vaccine such as Vaxarts offers the chance to overcome needle-phobia, a documented obstacle to vaccination, and offers the potential to make it easier to vaccinate more people faster than with traditional injected vaccines. Second, our previous research on other vaccine constructs found Vaxarts oral pill vaccine to be cross-reactive against all tested SARS-CoV-2 variants and to trigger long-lasting immune responses, potentially offering broader, longer protection than the current first-generation vaccines. We believe our vaccine does this by triggering both a systemic and mucosal response.

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Project NextGen is a $5 billion initiative by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop new, innovative vaccines and therapeutics that provide broader and more durable protection against COVID-19 than the first generation COVID vaccines and medicines. Vaxarts oral pill vaccine platform provides many of the features desired by BARDA, such as generating mucosal immunity and providing a cross-reactive response to many COVID variants.

This project has been funded with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under Contract No. 75A50124C00002.

About Vaxart Vaxart is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing a range of oral recombinant vaccines based on its proprietary delivery platform. Vaxart vaccines are designed to be administered using pills that can be stored and shipped without refrigeration and eliminate the risk of needle-stick injury. Vaxart believes that its proprietary pill vaccine delivery platform is suitable to deliver recombinant vaccines, positioning the company to develop oral versions of currently marketed vaccines and to design recombinant vaccines for new indications. Vaxarts development programs currently include pill vaccines designed to protect against coronavirus, norovirus, seasonal influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), as well as a therapeutic vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), Vaxarts first immune-oncology indication. Vaxart has filed broad domestic and international patent applications covering its proprietary technology and creations for oral vaccination using adenovirus and TLR3 agonists.

Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this press release regarding Vaxart's strategy, prospects, plans and objectives, results from preclinical and clinical trials and the timing of such results, commercialization agreements and licenses, and beliefs and expectations of management are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements may be accompanied by such words as "should," "believe," "could," "potential," "will," "expected," anticipate, "plan," and other words and terms of similar meaning. Examples of such statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to Vaxart's ability to develop and commercialize its product candidates, including its vaccine booster products; Vaxart's expectations regarding clinical results and trial data, and the timing of receiving and reporting such clinical results and trial data; and Vaxart's expectations with respect to the effectiveness of its product candidates. Vaxart may not actually achieve the plans, carry out the intentions, or meet the expectations or projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements, and you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual results or events could differ materially from the plans, intentions, expectations, and projections disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Various important factors could cause actual results or events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements that Vaxart makes, including uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement, and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates, and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from the clinical studies; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, and safety that could affect the availability or commercial potential of any product candidate, including the possibility that Vaxart's product candidates may not be approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities; that, even if approved by the FDA or non-U.S. regulatory authorities, Vaxart's product candidates may not achieve broad market acceptance; that a Vaxart collaborator may not attain development and commercial milestones; that Vaxart or its partners may experience manufacturing issues and delays due to events within, or outside of, Vaxart's or its partners' control; difficulties in production, particularly in scaling up initial production, including difficulties with production costs and yields, quality control, including stability of the product candidate and quality assurance testing, shortages of qualified personnel or key raw materials, and compliance with strictly enforced federal, state, and foreign regulations; that Vaxart may not be able to obtain, maintain, and enforce necessary patent and other intellectual property protection; that Vaxart's capital resources may be inadequate; Vaxart's ability to resolve pending legal matters; Vaxart's ability to obtain sufficient capital to fund its operations on terms acceptable to Vaxart, if at all; the impact of government healthcare proposals and policies; competitive factors; and other risks described in the "Risk Factors" sections of Vaxart's Quarterly and Annual Reports filed with the SEC. Vaxart does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Contacts

VaxartMedia Relations:

Investor Relations:

Mark Herr

Andrew Blazier

Vaxart, Inc.

FINN Partners

mherr@vaxart.com

IR@vaxart.com

(203) 517-8957

(646) 871-8486

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Vaxart Receives $9.27 Million BARDA Project NextGen Award to Prepare for Phase 2b Clinical Study Evaluating Its ... - Yahoo Finance

18 January 2024

Updated 19 January 2024

Image source, Getty Images

Measles cases are likely to spread rapidly unless more people are vaccinated, the UK Health Security Agency has warned.

Pop-up clinics are being opened to get more children vaccinated.

Measles is a highly contagious disease which is spread by coughs and sneezes.

It normally clears up after seven to 10 days. However, it can lead to serious problems if it infects other parts of the body, such as the lungs or brain.

Complications can include pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, and seizures.

Babies and young children, pregnant women and those with a weakened immune system are more at risk.

The number of young primary school children who have had the MMR vaccine - which is extremely effective against measles, mumps and rubella - is below World Health Organization targets.

That makes outbreaks of measles much more common.

Some 85% of children in 2022-23 had received two MMR doses by the time they were five years old, the lowest level since 2010-11. The goal is 95%.

The West Midlands, particularly Birmingham, have seen the most cases in recent months - more than 200.

There have also been smaller outbreaks in parts of London, where 74% of five-year-olds have had two doses. In a few areas, such as Hackney, nearly half of children are not fully vaccinated.

There are small clusters of cases in other areas of the country too.

There were 1,603 suspected cases of measles in England and Wales in 2023, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). That is up sharply from 735 cases in 2022 and 360 in 2021.

Small white spots may appear inside the mouth.

A blotchy red or brown rash usually appears a few days after the initial symptoms, typically on the face and behind the ears before spreading to the rest of the body.

It can be harder to see on brown and black skin.

Image source, Getty Images

The virus is contained in tiny droplets which are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

You catch measles by breathing in the droplets, or touching them and placing your hand near your nose or mouth.

People with measles are infectious until at least four days after the rash appears.

Pop-up clinics are also being set up at some schools.

The first MMR dose is usually given at 12 months, and the second at about three years and four months, before children start school. It reduces the risk of someone becoming ill with measles and infecting others.

You can catch up on the jabs at any point whether you're a child or an adult.

Muslim communities who do not eat pork products can request an alternative version called Priorix from their GP.

If the MMR vaccine is not suitable, a treatment called human normal immunoglobulin (HNIG) can be given to someone who is at immediate risk of catching measles.

Most side effects are mild and do not last long.

The area where the needle goes in can be red, sore and swollen for a few days.

Babies and young children may develop a high temperature for up to 72 hours.

At the time the claims were made, many parents chose not to have their children vaccinated. Those children are now young adults and being urged to get vaccinated.

The NHS advises patients to:

You should go to A&E or phone 999 if you or your child:

Pregnant women or those with a weakened immune system should seek urgent medical advice after contact with someone with measles.

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Measles: Why are cases rising and what are the symptoms? - BBC.com

By Emily Stearn, Health Reporter For Mailonline 17:05 19 Jan 2024, updated 18:27 19 Jan 2024

A woman who caught measles at 23 after only receiving one MMR jab as a child is still only able to eat through a tube six years later.

Ellie Roscoe, from Harborne in Birmingham, never had her second vaccine in 1998 before starting school after bogus studies linked the vaccine to autism.

The decision appeared to have no effect on her life until December 2017, when she suddenly broke out in red blotches and her temperature soared to 39C (102.2F).

It was only after being taken to hospital, where she was diagnosed with measles, that medics discovered the contagious infection had spread to her lungs and liver.

Now, aged 29, she still suffers with gastric problem that medics believe was triggered by the illness. She has urged Brits to get vaccinated and said a second '30-second jab' was worth it.

It comes as theWest Midlands is battling its biggest measles outbreaksince the 1990s, triggering the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to today declare a 'national incident'.

Health chiefsbegged parents to check their child's immunisation status, warning that the public had 'forgotten what measles is like' and that it was still a 'serious illness'.

Measles, which mostly produces flu-like symptoms and the tell-tale rash, can cause very serious and even fatal health complications if it spreads to the lungs or the brain.

One in five children who get infected will be hospitalised, according to estimates, with one in 15 developing serious complications likemeningitis or sepsis.

Ms Roscoe was given her first MMR vaccination at three months old in 1994. But the following year a now-discredited study by Dr Andrew Wakefield was published linking the jab to autism.

He published a second paper in 1998 claiming it backed up his initial study.

The research received widespread media coverage and contributed to the birth of the anti-vaccination movement.

Vaccinations for various unpleasant and deadly diseases are given free on the NHS to children and teenagers.

Here is a list of all the jabs someone should have by the age of 18 to make sure they and others across the country are protected:

Eight weeks old

12 weeks old

16 weeks old

One year old

Two to eight years old

Three years, four months old

12-13 years old (girls)

14 years old

Source: NHS Choices

Ellie's mother Debbie Roscoe was put off giving her the second dose of MMR in 1998 before she started school on the back of the controversial studies.

But, as it appeared to have no impact on her daughter's life, it never occurred to Mrs Roscoe that her daughter could have the virus in 2017 the same year the World Health Organisation(WHO) declared that Britain had eradicated measles.

Ms Roscoe claimed she was initially misdiagnosed by her GP, who told her to 'ride it out at home' after presenting twice with a temperature and flu-like symptoms.

But after deteriorating and suffering a rash, temperature and feeling delirious, her mother called an ambulance and took her to Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham.

Ms Roscoe told BBC News: 'Measles was something that was completely unheard of in adults as it was very rare to get it... but you can get it any age.'

She said without the treatmentshe received from the infectious disease and immunology department she 'wouldn't be here', adding'they were just fantastic and it was just a horrendous illness'.

She said:'They can't say for 100 per cent that the gastro and the feeding tube were as a result of measles, but a viral illness can cause [the] gastro problems I've developed.'

It is unclear what gastro problems Ms Roscoe has. However, it is sometimes needed, in severe cases, for Crohn's disease, bowel obstruction and ulcerative colitis.

Ms Roscoe also urged people who had fallen victim to 'scaremongering' around the MMR vaccine's links with autism to come forwards for their jabs and said she had not realised adults could still get vaccinated.

In 2019, her mother Debbie appeared on ITV's This Morning to speak out about thedangers of skipping vaccinations.

'Another 24 hours and she possibly wouldn't be here today,' she told the programme.

Asked about why she chose not to give her daughter her second MMR, she said: 'Autism was in the newspapers at the time.

'It was a great fear of mine because I had seen what autism could do. The facts were not really available at that time because we're going back many moons ago.

'Now you can get the full facts, you can go and ask GPs. You can go and ask medical professionals.'

It comes asDame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, todaypleaded with the 'Wakefield generation' adults born in the late 1990s or early 2000s to check their own medical records.

It is feared tens of thousands of children missed out on the MMR vaccine because of the now-debunked autism fears raised by discredited medic Andrew Wakefield.

She begged parents to check their child's immunisation status, warning that the public had 'forgotten what measles is like' and that it was still a 'serious illness'.

'Concerted action' is needed because the UK is currently on a 'trajectory for everything getting much worse', she said.

Latest UKHSA data shows there were 1,603 suspected measles cases in England and Wales in 2023.

The figure is more than twice as high as the 735 logged in 2022 and an almost five-fold rise compared to the 360 cases reported in 2021.

Suspected cases are based on official notifications by doctors making a diagnosis from clinical symptoms. While not all are later confirmed to be measles by lab tests, health chiefs warn that levels are clearly rising.

Two doses of the MMR vaccine offer up to 99 per cent protection against the trio of illnesses, which can lead to meningitis, hearing loss and problems during pregnancy.

At least 95 per cent of the population needs to be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks, under public health guidance.

But nationally, the proportion of five-year-olds who are fully jabbed has fallen to 84.5 per cent the lowest in more than a decade.

In the West Midlands more than 300 cases have been identified since October. Up to 50 children have been hospitalised in the past month alone.

Pop up clinics are now being introduced across the Black Country in a bid to get more children vaccinated.

They will be offering the MMR jab to children aged 12 to 16 who have not yet had two doses.

Experts today saidvaccine hesitancy in the wake of the Covid pandemicis likely 'a contributing factor' and vaccine misinformation will 'have had a 'spillover' effect into other vaccines'.

Others have pointed to the pandemic which led some children to miss out on routine vaccinations, as well as rising pressures on primary care and a reduction in health visitors.

At least 95 per cent of the population needs to be vaccinated to prevent outbreaks, under public health guidance.

But uptake of both doses of the MMR vaccine is at about 85 per cent nationally. This figure drops far lower in some areas with greater ethnic minority populations, making them more susceptible to outbreaks.

Among the other measures taken to combat the rise in cases include unvaccinated children in the West Midlands beingforced to isolate for up to three weeks amid the region's biggest measles outbreak since the 1990s.

In a letter to parents, Birmingham City Council warned that pupils who have not had the vaccine will be told to isolate for 21 days if they are exposed to measles.

The three-week isolation advice was first issued by the UKHSA in 2019.

But worries about low uptake and a surge in cases prompted councils, including some in London, to distribute a reminder about the policy in recent months.

Under the guidance, children are banned from school and told not to mix with other children and those considered vulnerable babies, pregnant women and those who are immunosuppressed. But they can still leave their homes for other activities.

Health chiefs say that while it is disruptive, the three-week isolation prevents measles from taking off among children which could see more become seriously unwell.

In1995, gastroenterologist Andrew Wakefield published a study in The Lancet showing children who had been vaccinated against MMR were more likely to have bowel disease and autism.

He speculated that being injected with a 'dead' form of the measles virus via vaccination causes disruption to intestinal tissue, leading to both of the disorders.

After a 1998 paper further confirmed this finding, Wakefield said: 'The risk of this particular syndrome [what Wakefield termed 'autistic enterocolitis'] developing is related to the combined vaccine, the MMR, rather than the single vaccines.'

At the time, Wakefield had a patent for single measles, mumps and rubella vaccines, and was therefore accused of having a conflict of interest.

Nonetheless, MMR vaccination rates in the US and the UK plummeted, until, in 2004, the editor of The Lancet Dr Richard Horton described Wakefield's research as 'fundamentally flawed', adding he was paid by a group pursuing lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers.

The Lancet formally retracted Wakefield's research paper in 2010.

Three months later, the General Medical Council banned Wakefield from practising medicine in Britain, stating his research had shown a 'callous disregard' for children's health.

On January 6, 2011, The British Medical Journal published a report showing that of the 12 children included in Wakefield's 1995 study, at most two had autistic symptoms post vaccination, rather than the eight he claimed.

At least two of the children also had developmental delays before they were vaccinated, yet Wakefield's paper claimed they were all 'previously normal'.

Further findings revealed none of the children had autism, non-specific colitis or symptoms within days of receiving the MMR vaccine, yet the study claimed six of the participants suffered all three.

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I caught measles in my 20s - now I have to eat through a tube: Heartbreaking story of 29-year-old whose mother - Daily Mail

Jeanette Breen operated a clinic in Nassau County

Getty

A New York midwife has been fined after falsifying the vaccination records of more than 1,000 school children after administering them and others oral pellets which she falsely claimed were a viable alternative to vaccines.

Jeanette Breen, a licensed midwife who operated a clinic in Nassau County, gave thousands of the pellets to the children since 2019, the New York State Department of Health's Bureau of Investigations found, per a press release.

Breens scheme started in the 2019-2020 school year as she began administering a series of oral pellets as an alternative to vaccines. The homeopathic pellets she administered are not authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the Department as an immunizing agent against any disease, per the Health Department.

Among the vaccinations she falsified include tetanus, hepatitis B, measles and polio.

Breen was determined to have broken the states Immunization Registry Law and was fined $300,000 as a penalty by the Health Department.

In a statement, State Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said that they are committed to upholding the highest standards of health and well-being within our educational institutions."

By intentionally falsifying immunization records for students, this licensed health care professional not only endangered the health and safety of our school communities but also undermined public trust, Rosas statement continued. We are pleased to have worked with our partners in government to bring this wrongdoer to justice.

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The false records submitted by Breen have been deleted by the state health department, and the New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS) is contacting the parents and guardians of children affected by the scheme, per the release.

The children will be required to receive all the age-appropriate vaccinations theyre missing in order to attend school in-person.

Breen has paid $150,000 of the $300,000 penalty. She wont be responsible for the remainder as long as meets requirements set out by the investigation, including refraining from administering vaccinations that must be reported to the NYSIIS and accessing the system itself.

Multiple large-scale studies have found that vaccines are safe. There is no scientific link between vaccines and autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

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Midwife Who Falsified Vaccine Records for More Than 1,000 School Children Fined $300,000 - Yahoo Entertainment