Twelve years after his initial report was published, Dr Andrew Wakefield was found guilty of serious professional misconduct at a hearing in central London.
The doctor, who grew up in Bath but spends much of his time in America, confirmed he would appeal against a decision by the General Medical Council (GMC) to strike him off the medical register.
A GMC panel ruled he acted in a way that was "dishonest", "misleading" and "irresponsible" while carrying out research into a possible link between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, bowel disease and autism.
But parents have pledged to give him their continued support.
Allison Edwards, chairwoman of campaign group Cry Shame, said: "I knew they would do this, they've had the intention of doing this for the past three years.
"This is to issue a warning to doctors not to dissent. No children were harmed in the clinical tests, they were trying to look at the problems and treat them, and the children improved. How do you get charged with doing your job?"
Isabella Thomas, 53, from Somerset, insisted her sons Michael, 18, and Terry, 16, received "fantastic" treatment under Dr Wakefield.
Another of her sons, Nigel, 30, handed a petition with more than 11,000 signatures to the GMC in support of Dr Wakefield and his colleagues, Professors John Walker-Smith and Simon Murch.
Mr Thomas said: "I've seen my parents struggle to find out what was wrong with their children and how upset they were when doctors dismissed their concerns or could not do anything for them.
"Dr Wakefield was accused of a callous disregard for the children but that's exactly what the GMC are doing. He tried to help them. It's ridiculous to say that any of the tests they had were in any way inappropriate."
Dr Wakefield was educated at King Edward's School in Bath and his parents – both retired doctors – still live in the city.
He said: "I will be appealing and I hope Professor Walker-Smith will be appealing.
"I think it's a very sad day when government pressure and grossly distorted journalism can have such a profound effect on healthcare for very sick children in the UK."
He insisted there had been fully-informed consent for the children in the Lancet study.
He said there was parental consent for extracting blood from a group of children at his son's birthday party.
He added: "In reporting their findings, the GMC panel sought to deny that the case against me and my colleagues is related to issues of MMR vaccine safety and, specifically, the role of this vaccine in causing autism. This is not in fact the case.
"Efforts to discredit and silence me through the GMC process have provided a screen to shield the Government from exposure on the (Pluserix) MMR vaccine scandal."
Prof Walker-Smith, 73, was also found guilty of serious professional misconduct and struck off. Prof Murch was found not guilty.
Dr Wakefield caused controversy when he published a study suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine, bowel disease and autism.
The research, which appeared in The Lancet medical journal in 1998, sparked a massive decline in children having the triple jab.
The GMC said Dr Wakefield took blood from his son's friends at a birthday party, paying the youngsters £5 each, before joking about it during a presentation.
He also ordered some youngsters to undergo unnecessary colonoscopies, lumbar punctures (spinal taps), barium meals, blood and urine tests and brain scans, the panel said.
Dr Wakefield was an honorary consultant in experimental gastroenterology at London's Royal Free Hospital at the time of his research.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "Thankfully, more parents are having their children vaccinated with MMR and they see it as being as safe as other childhood vaccines."
The doctor, who grew up in Bath but spends much of his time in America, confirmed he would appeal against a decision by the General Medical Council (GMC) to strike him off the medical register.
A GMC panel ruled he acted in a way that was "dishonest", "misleading" and "irresponsible" while carrying out research into a possible link between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, bowel disease and autism.
Allison Edwards, chairwoman of campaign group Cry Shame, said: "I knew they would do this, they've had the intention of doing this for the past three years.
"This is to issue a warning to doctors not to dissent. No children were harmed in the clinical tests, they were trying to look at the problems and treat them, and the children improved. How do you get charged with doing your job?"
Isabella Thomas, 53, from Somerset, insisted her sons Michael, 18, and Terry, 16, received "fantastic" treatment under Dr Wakefield.
Another of her sons, Nigel, 30, handed a petition with more than 11,000 signatures to the GMC in support of Dr Wakefield and his colleagues, Professors John Walker-Smith and Simon Murch.
Mr Thomas said: "I've seen my parents struggle to find out what was wrong with their children and how upset they were when doctors dismissed their concerns or could not do anything for them.
"Dr Wakefield was accused of a callous disregard for the children but that's exactly what the GMC are doing. He tried to help them. It's ridiculous to say that any of the tests they had were in any way inappropriate."
Dr Wakefield was educated at King Edward's School in Bath and his parents – both retired doctors – still live in the city.
He said: "I will be appealing and I hope Professor Walker-Smith will be appealing.
"I think it's a very sad day when government pressure and grossly distorted journalism can have such a profound effect on healthcare for very sick children in the UK."
He insisted there had been fully-informed consent for the children in the Lancet study.
He said there was parental consent for extracting blood from a group of children at his son's birthday party.
He added: "In reporting their findings, the GMC panel sought to deny that the case against me and my colleagues is related to issues of MMR vaccine safety and, specifically, the role of this vaccine in causing autism. This is not in fact the case.
"Efforts to discredit and silence me through the GMC process have provided a screen to shield the Government from exposure on the (Pluserix) MMR vaccine scandal."
Prof Walker-Smith, 73, was also found guilty of serious professional misconduct and struck off. Prof Murch was found not guilty.
Dr Wakefield caused controversy when he published a study suggesting a link between the MMR vaccine, bowel disease and autism.
The research, which appeared in The Lancet medical journal in 1998, sparked a massive decline in children having the triple jab.
The GMC said Dr Wakefield took blood from his son's friends at a birthday party, paying the youngsters £5 each, before joking about it during a presentation.
He also ordered some youngsters to undergo unnecessary colonoscopies, lumbar punctures (spinal taps), barium meals, blood and urine tests and brain scans, the panel said.
Dr Wakefield was an honorary consultant in experimental gastroenterology at London's Royal Free Hospital at the time of his research.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said: "Thankfully, more parents are having their children vaccinated with MMR and they see it as being as safe as other childhood vaccines."
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