Prevention Matters

The Lancet’s retraction of a 1998 article linking autism to MMR vaccine was named the “Best Prevention Idea of the Week,” while the widespread failure of American adults to get needed immunizations was named “Worst Prevention Idea of the Week.”

The “Best/Worst” awards are announced each week in “Prevention Matters,” the blog of Partnership for Prevention. Nominees are submitted by Partnership staff as well as the general public, and are voted on by the staff. Partnership for Prevention is a nonpartisan organization of business, nonprofit and government leaders who are working to make evidence-based disease prevention and health promotion a national priority. More information is available at www.prevent.org .

BEST

Lancet Finally Retracts Study Linking MMR, Autism
http://preventionmatters.blogspot.com/2010/02/lancet-finally-retracts-study-linking.html

The Lancet has finally retracted its 1998 article that has fueled a worldwide movement against use of MMR vaccine for infants. The article by Dr. Andrew Wakefield claimed there was link between MMR and autism. The retraction comes days after the U.K.'s General Medical Council, a government regulatory agency, ruled that Dr. Andrew Wakefield acted "dishonestly and irresponsibly" in his research.

WORST

Millions of US Adults Behind on Immunizations
http://healthyamericans.org/report/73/adult-immunization-2010

Millions of adults living in the U.S. are not up to date on their needed immunizations, leaving them at risk for preventable illnesses and even death, according to a new report released by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), the Infectious Diseases Society and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. According to the report, key reasons for the low immunization rates include a lack of knowledge about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, limited access to immunization and limited research and development of new vaccines in the United States.