Actor Robert DeNiro has announced that a controversial film based on completely debunked conspiracy theories about the Mumps, Measles, Rubella (MMR) vaccine will not be shown at the Tribeca Film Festival, the prestigious showcase he founded.  DeNiro defended the film "Vaxxed" as late as last Friday.

But by Sunday, the legendary film star acknowledged that there were problems with the documentary that pushed the thoroughly debunked "link" between the MMR vaccine and autism.  "We have concerns with certain things in this film," said Mr. De Niro, who has an austistic child.  He originally hoped that "Vaxxed" would start a conversation.  But after reviewing the film with festival organizers and scientists, he said, "We do not believe it contributes to or furthers the discussion I had hoped for."

Director and co-writer Andrew Wakefield claimed his "whistleblower documentary" had fallen victim to "yet another example of the power of corporate interests censoring free speech, art and truth".  But his critics say that Wakefield's anti-vaccination bunk might be "the most damaging medical hoax of the last 100 years". 

In 1998, Wakefield was gastroenterologist who published a paper linking the MMR vaccine, autism, and bowel disease.  These claims were never fully accepted by the medical community, because of the small sample size of children studied.  By 2004 it came to light that Wakefield had received money from trial lawyers - a conflict of interest.  And in 2009, investigators discovered that the medical records of the twelve children supposedly examined by Wakefield and found that their information was different from that which was published in the study - including that some of the children showed signs of autism before being given the MMR vaccine. 

In 2010, The Lancet withdrew the study.  And a disciplinary committee of the British General Medical Council (GMC) found him guilty of three dozen charges proved, including four counts of dishonesty and 12 counts involving the abuse of developmentally challenged children.  They struck his name off of the British Medical Registry, forbidding him to practice in the UK.  By 2011, some stopped calling it bad research and accused Wakefield of fraud, which he denies.

But the damage had been done.  Wakefield's claims were repeated by idiot celebrities and amplified by the growth of social media.  Immunization rates in Britain dropped from 92 percent to 73 percent, and were as low as 50 percent in some parts of London - consequently, measles rates rose.  The same thing happened in the United States, which saw resurgences of diseases that had been virtually eradicated such as measles and whooping cough.