In February 2004, The Sunday Times of London publishes a hit piece by Murdoch ‘journalist’ Brian Deer, who begins making false claims against Wakefield which continue to this day. 

As a part of Deer's libelous attacks, he misrepresents and rehashes false claims about Wakefield’s funding sources for the studies; exploits false narratives surrounding medical histories of the 12 children in the Lancet report; and makes untrue statements about events that to date have already been proven to be accurate.