Wakefield's MMR-Autism Lancet Paper (1998)

Andrew Wakefield's 1998 Lancet paper remains the most damaging fraud in modern science, with a 12-patient case series that falsely linked the MMR vaccine to autism. Retracted in 2010, it ignited a global anti-vaccination movement, leading to measles outbreaks and an estimated 100,000 preventable deaths worldwide. This study's lasting harm far exceeds even the controversial Fouchier gain-of-function research (#4), which at least aimed for pandemic preparedness rather than causing direct public health crises.