More than 25 years ago, a supposed link between autism and the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine was put forward by British doctor Andrew Wakefield, a gastroenterologist and surgeon who in 1998 authored this study in "The Lancet" medical journal.
The study was based on just 12 cases of vaccinated children, but contained no control group, patients who hadn't been vaccinated for comparison, and it relied on parents' memories, rather than official records. It was quickly criticized for its flaws and later revealed that Wakefield hadn't disclosed conflicts of interest, that he was being paid to work on a lawsuit against vaccine companies, and that he had falsified some medical records to support his conclusion.
Brian Deer, Author, "The Doctor Who Fooled the World": We were able to show that he'd manipulated it, the study, and fabricated the appearance of a link with autism for personal gain and personal glory. And the result of that was that he was banned from medicine and the research paper that he published was retracted by "The Lancet."