Wakefield's action against BMJ dismissed

Disgraced researcher Andrew Wakefield’s libel action against the BMJ has been thrown out before it reached first base.

Mr Wakefield, who sparked a worldwide scare over the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine in 1998 by authoring research falsely linking it with autism, was suing the BMJ in a Texas court for its coverage of his research.

Mr Wakefield, who moved to Texas after being struck off the UK medical register, claimed a number of articles published by the BMJ accused him of “intentionally and knowingly manipulating or