Sunday December 24th 2006

Response by Dr Andy Wakefield to enquiries about expert fees.

Thank you for your enquiry. I hope that the points below will answer any questions you may have about the issue of experts' fees in the MMR litigation.

1. I worked as an expert in the MMR class action litigation for nearly 9 years. As instructed, I charged for my services and this was at an hourly rate recommended by the BMA after consulting with them on this matter.
   
   
2. I worked extremely hard on this very onerous litigation because I believed and still believe in the just cause of the matter under investigation. This work involved nights, weekends and much of my holidays such that I saw little of my family during this time. The price for standing by these children has been high both for my family and my professional status.
   
   
3. The money that I received was, after tax and out of pocket expenses, donated to an initiative to create a new center, in the first instance at the Royal Free Hospital, for the care of autistic children and those with bowel disease. This intention was made clear, in writing, to senior members of the medical school. The initiative was unsuccessful at the Royal Free but ultimately succeeded in the US.
   
   
4. My role as an expert was declared as a conflict of interest in relevant publications (see references below) that discussed the possible role of MMR vaccine intestinal disease and autism and to journal editors in other instances. I have referenced the relevant publications below for your convenience.
   
   
5. The costs judge has revised the sum payable by nearly £100,000 and I am happy to abide by this ruling. He has done the same for other experts and I am informed that this is common practice in cases such as this. A substantial part of this money was not paid to me in the first place.
   
   
6. My actions were at times taken in the best interests of children potentially damaged by the MMR vaccine. It was my earnest desire to establish a centre of excellence for the care of these children in the UK. Sadly, the political climate in there made this impossible. I remain dedicated to helping these children and resolving the issue of whether vaccines are involved in this disorder or not. I will not be intimidated or coerced into stopping this work prematurely.

References

Stott C et al Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons 2004;9:89-91 Wakefield AJ et al. Medical Veritas 2006;3:796-802

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