Twenty years after his discredited paper linking the MMR vaccine to autism, Andrew Wakefield has resurfaced in the United States, embraced by the anti-establishment movement surrounding former President Donald Trump. The British doctor, struck off the medical register in 2010, was seen at Trump's inaugural ball and is now dating supermodel Elle Macpherson.
Wakefield's 1998 study in The Lancet, which suggested a link between the MMR jab, gut problems and autism in eight children, was later retracted. Despite widespread condemnation from the scientific community, he refused to back down, claiming a conspiracy by pharmaceutical companies to force vaccines on children.
Under Trump's presidency, Wakefield gained renewed visibility. At an inaugural ball in January 2017, he called for a 'huge shakeup' at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That same month, vaccine sceptic Robert F Kennedy Jr announced plans to lead a federal panel on vaccine safety convened by Trump, though it never materialised.
Wakefield's personal life has also seen a shift. Separated from his wife Carmel, who supported him during the UK controversy, he is now dating Elle Macpherson. The pair were photographed kissing on an organic farm in Miami, signalling his acceptance into celebrity-fixated US society.
Despite being ostracised in Britain, Wakefield maintained a following in the US, where supporters view him as a hero victimised by a medical establishment in thrall to big pharma. His anti-vaccine views have been linked to declining MMR uptake and measles outbreaks worldwide.
