# Andrew Wakefield: why ain't he in choky? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 19, 2011, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168 "2011-01-19T03:59:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168/21 "2011-01-19T20:38:38Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > What’s the British term for _whooooosh_? The same, but we spell it with only four "o"s. ---
**Author:** ![villa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@villa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/villa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168/22 "2011-01-19T20:43:46Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > The same, but we spell it with only four "o"s. And each one has a “u” after it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168/23 "2011-01-19T20:45:31Z")
Ta, both of you. So, _whouououoush_, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168/24 "2011-01-19T21:11:05Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > What about civil action, if he can’t be prosecuted for a crime? Could any of the parents who’s kids died or got sick file a suit? I think that, even with the lower standards of proof required in a civil case, it would be practically impossible to establish a direct causative link between any particular single case of a communicable disease, and a person (however fraudulently) suggesting a possible problem with one particular vaccine against that disease. > [@](#): > > Or possibly ask the crown to have him drawn and quartered and the parts fed to rabid space weasels? Can’t do that anymore. Health and safety. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168/25 "2011-01-19T21:59:52Z")
There are still people who promote the idea of exposing kids to childhood diseases to better enhance the immune system (over injected immunization) so it would be tough to focus on one person. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2011, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168/26 "2011-01-19T22:29:41Z")
> [@villa](#): > > Depends on the size of your roomie. You mean Gumby? ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168/27 "2011-01-25T13:40:32Z")
It seems clear, given that he changed research results in a way that promoted his own financial interests, that he meets criteria to be prosecuted for fraud. Whether successfully or not remains to be determined, of course. Prosecution for manslaughter (childslaughter?) or medical malpractice would be separate issues. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168/28 "2011-01-25T14:15:48Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > There are still people who promote the idea of exposing kids to childhood diseases to better enhance the immune system (over injected immunization) so it would be tough to focus on one person. I thought it was recommended that chicken pox be contracted when young, as shingles is worse? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2011, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168/29 "2011-01-25T14:49:38Z")
Chickenpox exposure doesn’t prevent shingles. It _causes_ it. Shingles is when the dormant chickenpox virus (varicella) reappears because the host’s immune system is compromised. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/andrew-wakefield-why-aint-he-in-choky/568168.md?page=1)