In 1998, a now debunked study claimed that there was a link between the MMR vaccine and autism. The fiasco that surrounded this study eroded trust in science and was blamed for a drop in vaccination rates and a sharp increase in cases of measles.
In circumstances like this, study results can be removed from academic journals to stop the spread of untrustworthy evidence. This is called “retraction”. Retracted studies are rejected by the scientific community, and, in theory, can’t play any role in clinical or policy decision-making. Retraction can happen for a range of reasons, from scientific fraud (about 60%), to honest mistakes or not following proper ethics procedures.
