The number of autism cases has increased significantly in the past few decades, from approximately 1 in 2,500 children in 1966 to 1 in 68 in 2016. The increase in the number of autism cases is attributed in part to improved screening and broadening of the diagnostic criteria. The alleged association between the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and autism began in 1998, when Andrew Wakefield and several coauthors published a research paper in The Lancet, a leading British medical journal, suggesting a link between them. Wakefield's findings caused great concern among parents in the UK and the US and led to a significant drop in vaccinations of children. Numerous subsequent studies have failed to support an association between the administration of the vaccine and autism spectrum disorder. Beginning in 2004, British investigative journalist Brian Deer wrote several articles accusing Wakefield of concealing conflicts of interest, manipulating evidence, and other unethical research practices. In 2010 The Lancet retracted Wakefield's study after several elements in the study were found to be "incorrect, contrary to the findings of an earlier investigation."