CNN article makes me see red

Vaccine-autism researcher should be prosecuted- was the headline on a CNN opinion article this morning. I can't tell you the mixed feeling I have about this. Reading through the article and finding out the researchers study was based on only 12 children and he may have falsified medical histories made me so incredibly angry. - but I still question why they are not releasing the information he reportedly falsified.

I just took Greg for his one year shots vaccination shots this week. And with Nathan I remember tormenting myself and reading every article I could get ahold of trying to decide.
With both boys, I've decided that the risk of the vaccines vs. the deadliness of the diseases, meant that I would vaccinate regardless. But after researching the ingredients of each shot, I have always refused to give influenza shots. Since they do contain trace amounts of mercury. And all the articles I read pointed to mercury most likely being the source.

Although I felt the risks of not vaccinating outweighed the risk of the diseases, I completely agree with the article author when he states "The direct result of this was the creation and perpetuation of an insidious myth that may be unparalleled in modern day medicine".

That's the part that really upsets me, if this research was originally based on only 12 children in the first place, why was it ever given any credibility? How many parents have refused to vaccinate based off of what could essentially be as credible as a rumor?
"wasted time and money pale in comparison to the devastating personal consequences that occurred across the globe as a direct result of Wakefield's behavior. The marked decrease in vaccinations which occurred in the decade following his research literally cost people their lives. When parents refused to vaccinate their children, many of them contracted diseases such as measles and pertussis (whooping cough). Some of them died."

I understand that many parents will still support this theory, if your child began showing symptoms of autism right after a vaccination shot, research credibility isn't going to matter to you. But all the parents who didn't vaccinate in fear of the what if's?????