In February of 1998, a study by British laboratory researcher Dr. Andrew Wakefield appeared in The Lancet, which resulted in the first widespread outbreak of measles in the UK in decades. The research stressed that there was a strong link between the onset of autism and MMR, the combined vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella.

Now, after years of controversy, the study has finally been retracted, a day after the competing British Medical Journal on Wednesday issued a bitter commentary and called for a formal retracting of the study.

Dr. Wakefield's research, which included only 12 children, and an equally small control group, led to many British and American parents to question the safety of the vaccine, leading to a large-scale outbreak of the diseases. Over the years to come, many researchers tried, but were unable to replicate the findings of Dr. Wakefield.

Lancet editor Richard Horton, in 2004, designated the publication as "fatally flawed" and apologized for making it a part of the journal.

Dr. Wakefield, however, has still continued to maintain that there is nothing wrong with his findings; but chances are that his license to practice medicine in Britain might be revoked.