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He said it’s “unquestionable” the rise in people infected with whooping cough is connected to more people not getting vaccinated. he also said officials at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health officials do not see the jump in a vaccine-preventable disease as a coincidence.

In the last 15 years, there’s been widespread publicity about reports allegedly linking vaccinations to autism, but experts haven’t found any scientific basis to support those claims.

Recently, the British Medical Journal concluded that the 1998 study that originally linked the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination to autism was an elaborate fraud. still, parents’ fear about immunization persists after watching shows such as “Oprah,” which featured actress Jenny McCarthy alleging there’s a connection between vaccines and autism.

In past years, Dr. Cheryl Wickham didn’t see whooping cough cases ? and when she did, it was “unusual.”

Wickman has been practicing medicine for more than 25 years and works at Saint Joseph Mercy Primary Pediatrics in Howell.

In the last 18 months, Wickham said she has seen an increase in patients who have been diagnosed with whooping cough. Patients diagnosed with the disease include toddlers, older elementary students and three high school students.

She said most patients diagnosed with the disease have received their immunization, but the problem is the immunization wears off. a key benefit of immunization is preventing patients from getting severe symptoms.

Wickham said she’s been pushing for young parents to receive immunizations to prevent them from getting the disease and possibly passing it to a child. while infants are supposed to get three pertussis immunizations before turning 1, she said they are vulnerable before they get their three shots.

As a pediatrician, Wickham said she’s a strong supporter of vaccinations and has a lot of conversations with parents if they might be concerned about the immunizations.

“There’s a lot of information out there on the Internet and media, and it may be alarming, but it’s not necessarily scientifically valid,” she said.

During her 25 years, Wickham has seen controversies come and go over immunizations. in the late 1970s, she recalled the scare that the DTP vaccine (for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis) caused sudden infant death syndrome, but was later proven unfounded.

She said parents “want to do the best thing for their children, they want to protect them.”

Lawrenchuk said Livingston County has well-informed and highly educated residents who want to know what the facts are. he said he understands why residents would be searching the Internet to get the latest information, but he recommended they talk to their doctors and other health-care providers.

“We want people to make wise, intelligent decisions,” he said. “The facts show the benefits (of immunization) far outweigh the risk.”

Contact Daily Press & Argus reporter Jim Totten at (517) 548-7088 or at jtotten@gannett.com.

Published: Friday, January 7, 2011 at 7:04 p.m. Last Modified: Friday, January 7, 2011 at 7:04 p.m.

In 1998, a British medical researcher and former surgeon named Andrew Wakefield published a story in a medical journal claiming that he and his associates had found a link between a vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella and autism. that allegation purportedly stemmed from their observation of a group of 12 children.

Wakefield also claimed a connection between the vaccine and inflammatory bowel disease, but it was the alleged link to autism — the mysterious and inexplicable developmental disorder that, according to the CDC, affects 9 of every 1,000 children in the United States — that drew the most attention.

Vaccination rates declined by half in some areas of England — as cases of measles, mumps and rubella increased, sometimes with fatal results.

Hundreds of thousands of Americans opted not to have their children vaccinated, either, and several disease outbreaks were reported in areas where there were a large number of refusals.

Anti-vaccination advocates continue to tout a link between childhood immunizations and autism.

There’s one problem. Wakefield’s research on the subject wasn’t just invalid, it was fraudulent.

No other researchers were able to replicate Wakefield’s results. Most of his co-authors eventually renounced the original study, which also was retracted by the magazine that published it. Wakefield’s medical license was revoked.

And this week, another British medical journal published evidence that Wakefield had faked his original data, by making it seem like the 12 children didn’t display symptoms of autism until after they had received their immunizations.

Does this mean there’s no link between autism and vaccinations? It’s not possible to conclusively say that. It’s not possible to conclusively say that about a countless number of potential factors.

However, it can be conclusively said that Wakefield’s discredited research did nothing but incite fear in parents seeking to protect their children from harm, and hope in parents seeking answers to a mystery that so far has defied solution.

Some observers say the “true believers” on the anti-vaccination side won’t be deterred by the revelations of Wakefield’s fraud. that wouldn’t surprise us, either. Zealots tend to defend their beliefs zealously. People who desperately have sought, and believe they’ve found, “the answer” often will cling to it in the face of new evidence.

We look at it this way. Vaccinations absolutely can have side effects. A few can be severe. Most are quite minor.

Weigh them against the complications that can be caused by measles (pneumonia and encephalitis), mumps (meningitis, encephalitis, pancreatitis, sterility and deafness), rubella (arthritis-type symptoms) and other diseases. Consider the ramifications for society as a whole from having a large number of unvaccinated people in circulation.

Which carries more risk — having children vaccinated, or refusing to do so?