The Doctor Who Fooled the World: Science, Deception, and the War Against Vaccines

In this audiobook, journalist Brian Deer of The Sunday Times delivers a compelling investigation into former British doctor Andrew Jeremy Wakefield. Wide public recognition for Wakefield came after his falsified 1998 work, in which he groundlessly claimed a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism—followed by his subsequent anti-vaccination campaign. The public outcry over the publication led to a drop in vaccination coverage and, as a result, outbreaks of measles in different countries.

Wakefield presented an article about a “new form” of enterocolitis, allegedly associated with autism, in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet. However, other scientists were unable to replicate his findings, and Brian Deer’s 2004 investigation uncovered a hidden financial conflict of interest. Later, most of the article’s co-authors distanced themselves from the interpretation of the data presented in it.

The UK General Medical Council (GMC) began proceedings over allegations of fraud against Wakefield and two of his former colleagues, relying largely on Deer’s materials. In 2010, the GMC concluded that Wakefield had falsified data, acted not in the interests of patients, allowed improper treatment of children with developmental disabilities, and “failed to discharge the duties of a responsible consultant.” Following the investigation, The Lancet retracted the 1998 publication, stating that a number of elements had been falsified and that the journal had been misled. Three months later, Wakefield was removed from the UK medical register—including for the intentional falsification of materials published in The Lancet—and banned from practicing medicine in the country. A British court also separately noted that “there is currently no authoritative position” confirming Wakefield’s hypothesis of a causal link between MMR and autism/enterocolitis.

About the author
Brian Deer is a well-known journalist and investigative reporter, renowned for his reporting on the pharmaceutical industry, medicine, and social issues in the London newspaper The Sunday Times.

Deer has been nominated three times for the British Press Awards and for the Рaramount prize for newspaper journalists, has been named Specialist Reporter of the Year twice, and made the shortlist for Reporter of the Year. Commenting on his first award for investigations at The Sunday Times, the judges noted that he was “probably the only journalist in Britain who keeps an eye on pharmaceutical companies.” They spoke of the work that became the basis for the book Doctor who fooled the world as an “enormous correction of a mistake.” He continues to work actively in print and television media.