--:-- Asma Khalid: Welcome to The Global Story. I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C.
--:-- Tristan Redman: And I'm Tristan Redman in London.
--:-- Asma Khalid: Today, we're looking at a story that's been making headlines around the world. On Monday, President Trump and the U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a press conference in which they made extraordinary new claims about autism.
--:-- Tristan Redman: They suggested a potential link between the use of Tylenol during pregnancy and the development of autism. They also advocated spacing out childhood vaccinations.
--:-- Asma Khalid: The two men's interest in the link between vaccines and autism goes back decades, but these claims did not originate in the US. They trace back to the UK in 1998, when disgraced former doctor Andrew Wakefield first published his now-debunked theory linking MMR vaccines to autism cases in children.
--:-- Tristan Redman: Today, we're joined by science journalist Adam Rutherford to explain how the Wakefield vaccine conspiracy became the biggest medical disinformation disaster in recent history, and how these ideas found fertile ground in the Trump administration.
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- Asma Khalid: So, let's start with the basics. What was Andrew Wakefield's theory, and how did it gain traction?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Well, in 1998, Wakefield published a paper in The Lancet claiming that there was a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. He claimed that the vaccine caused gut problems, which in turn led to autism.
--:-- Tristan Redman: But wasn't the paper based on a small number of children?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Yes, it was a case study of 12 children. And, as it turned out, the data in the paper was not supported by the case studies themselves. Some of the children had been diagnosed with autism before they received the vaccine.
--:-- Asma Khalid: And what about the press conference that followed the publication of the paper? Did Wakefield make any claims there that weren't in the paper?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Yes, he did. At the press conference, Wakefield made a direct association between the MMR vaccine and the development of autism. This was not in the paper, and it was not something that had been discussed amongst the co-authors.
--:-- Tristan Redman: And how did the media respond to this story?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: The story grew and grew, and it became the dominant press story for medicine for maybe five or ten years. No one in the press was untouched by this story, and it was picked up by columnists and champions in the press.
--:-- Asma Khalid: But wasn't there some skepticism about the story at the time?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Yes, there were some skeptics, but they were largely drowned out by the mainstream media. And, as it turned out, the evidence in the paper was probably fraudulent.
--:-- Tristan Redman: Fraudulent? Can you explain what you mean by that?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: The data in the paper was not supported by the case studies themselves. And, as it turned out, Wakefield had a patent on a single vaccine at the time, which was not disclosed.
--:-- Asma Khalid: And what about Wakefield's subsequent career? Did he continue to promote his theory?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Yes, he did. He became a celebrity in the anti-vaccine movement, and he continued to promote his theory despite the fact that it had been thoroughly debunked.
--:-- Tristan Redman: And how did he get into Donald Trump's orbit?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Well, Wakefield had been a fixture in the anti-vaccine movement for years, and he had become a celebrity in that world. He had appeared on the Alex Jones podcast many times, and he had become a sort of guru to the anti-vaccine movement.
--:-- Asma Khalid: And what about RFK Jr.? Did he have any connection to Wakefield?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Yes, RFK Jr. has been a vaccine denialist for many years, and he has been influenced by Wakefield's ideas. In fact, Wakefield's theory was one of the first things that RFK Jr. started promoting.
--:-- Tristan Redman: And what about the press conference on Monday? Did Trump and RFK Jr. make any new claims about autism?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Yes, they did. They suggested a potential link between the use of Tylenol during pregnancy and the development of autism. They also advocated spacing out childhood vaccinations.
--:-- Asma Khalid: And what does this say about the state of science and medicine in the US today?
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Well, it's a sad day when the President of the United States is promoting debunked theories about vaccines. But it's also a reminder that science and medicine are not immune to the forces of politics and ideology.
--:-- Tristan Redman: Thanks for joining us today, Adam.
--:-- Adam Rutherford: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Asma Khalid: That was Adam Rutherford. And that's it for the Global Story for today. Thanks for listening.
--:-- Tristan Redman: If you're enjoying the show, please take a second to rate us wherever you're listening.
--:-- Asma Khalid: And don't forget to follow us on social media for more updates and analysis.
--:-- Tristan Redman: Thanks for listening.
--:-- The Global Story is a daily podcast from the BBC, covering the latest news and analysis from around the world. If you want to hear more, you can find us on the BBC website or wherever you get your podcasts.
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