Scientist who co-authored major studies proclaiming “no vaccine-autism link” faces federal charges for falsifying invoices and stealing public research funds
The Independent Medical Alliance (IMA), the nation’s largest coalition of independent doctors and healthcare professionals, today noted that Danish researcher Poul Thorsen is expected to plead guilty on September 1 to federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
“Thorsen’s conduct has created questions about whether the medical community can trust his research,” said IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon. “Financial integrity and scientific integrity are connected. When someone is willing to falsify documents to take public funds, the public has every right to demand full accountability.”
Thorsen co-authored several highly cited studies in the early 2000s, including a large 2002 paper in the New England Journal of Medicine that argued no link exists between the MMR vaccine and autism. Those papers influenced vaccine policy for more than two decades.
According to federal prosecutors, while Thorsen was responsible for administering research funded by more than $11 million in CDC grants to Danish government agencies, he submitted more than a dozen fraudulent invoices bearing the forged signature of a CDC laboratory official. The invoices falsely claimed that a CDC laboratory had performed work and was owed grant money. Aarhus University transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars to accounts it believed belonged to the CDC but which prosecutors allege were actually controlled by Thorsen. Federal authorities allege that Thorsen ultimately diverted more than $1 million in CDC grant funds for his personal use.
Thorsen was extradited to the United States this year, and prosecutors say he is expected to enter a guilty plea at the September 1 hearing in Atlanta.
“Americans are asked to trust the science,” Varon said. “That trust requires open books, clear disclosure of conflicts, and real consequences when researchers cross the line.”
IMA is calling on federal agencies to now review the methods and findings of every research program connected to Thorsen.
