Retraction of Paper Linking a Vaccine to Autism

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Shot Down

Lancet, a renowned scientific journal, has formally retracted a paper that linked the popular MMR vaccine to autism.

The paper has been blamed for the drastic drop in the number of children getting the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in Europe and the U.S. Last week Britain's General Medical Council accused the author, Dr. Andrew Wakefield of presenting his research in a "irresponsible and dishonest" way with "callous disregard" for children.

Wakefield says the allegations are unfounded.

Run for the Border

A Canadian provincial premier who needs heart surgery has come to the U.S. for the operation.

David Cochrane of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp, who follows Premier Danny Williams closely, writes: "The reaction here is very mixed. Many people said it shows a lack of confidence in the health care system."

Williams' office says the surgery is not available in his home province. But, staffers will not say whether the procedure is done anywhere else in Canada. That nation has a publicly-funded health care system, often touted by supporters of single payer universal health care proposals here in the U.S.

Dr. Robert Moffit of the Center for Health Policy Studies tells Fox: "This should be a wake-up call to Congress and the administration... it is a fact —beyond dispute — that the United States remains the global destination for patients from all over the world."

I Owe You One

And the Illinois state capital of Springfield is still waiting to be repaid for the cost of a Barack Obama campaign event in the fall of 2008.

The state journal register reports the city is owed more than $55,000 on a tab running nearly $70,000 total.

We asked the Democratic National Committee for a comment but they declined today. After repeated tries to collect the outstanding payment, Ward 3 Alderman Frank Kunz quipped, "let's turn them over to a collection agency."

— Fox News Channel's Megan Dumpe Kenworthy contributed to this report.