Why Paul Offit Isn't Flexible on Vaccines

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As a physician it bothers me when people make comments like "zombie following Offit-minded Dr.s who obviously have conflicts of interest." As physicians we are doing what is in the best interest of the child. That goes for people who study vaccinations and the things that are in them as well. I would recommend that you read Paul Offit's book "Autism's False Prophets." If you don't agree with him on everything then at least it will give you a picture of how many conflicts of interests the anti-vaccine side has. For instance Robert F. Kennedy has financial ties to many of the lawyers who have made a lot of money suing the government for supposed vaccine adverse events. You don't think that if he could try to establish a link between vaccines and autism, even if it wasn't scientifically based, that he would profit from that? That is one of the neglected aspects of this debate, how much money the anti-vaccine side makes on this issue. So if you're going to get upset about a scientist making money from something they invent, then also be disgusted with the lawyer that is essentially marketing by writing an article.

pediatrician of CA 5:51PM April 28, 2010

I am the mother of an autistic child. I used to side with the CDC because I read the studies which concluded that thimerosal was safe. I thought parents who didn't inoculate their children were irresponsible not only for their own child, but by putting the general health of all the children in their communities at risk. I bought into the explanation that the spike in autism rates was due to better diagnostic criteria. It wasn't until I read an article recently which turned my world upside down. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. - who is not known for being an extremist or a "crackpot" - authored this article which is backed up by some compelling evidence.
Eli Lilly knew that thimerosal was unsafe even back in the '30s, yet they put it into the vaccines anyway. Thimerosal was first introduced in 1931 and the first cases of autism were diagnosed in 1943, among the first generation to receive vaccines which contained thimerosal. In 1989, the schedule of vaccines was accelerated and included more inoculations. From 1989-2003 there was a sharp rise in autism rates as well as ADHD, speech delay, and other PDDs. After 2003, thimerosal was taken out of all but the flu vaccine. Since then there has been a decline in autism rates as well as rates of other neurological disorders.
My daughter was born in 2003 and received - as all babies do - her first vaccine in hospital. We can't even sue Eli Lilly even though they knew that thimerosal was unsafe because a rider attached to a homeland security bill prohibits pharmaceutical companies from being sued over their use of thimerosal.
It kills me inside to know that my daughter has a lifelong disability because a group of people who are charged with public safety placed their own profits and selfish interests ahead of the welfare of the general public. Shame on the CDC, the FDA, Eli Lilly, those members of congress who receive huge amounts of money from pharmaceutical companies, and Paul Offit. He may have no conflict of interest now, but he did for years. Anyone who thinks they can be impartial when they have a stake in the outcome is lying to themselves.
If you want to see the whole article, here's the URL:
http://www.robertfkennedyjr.com/articles/2005_june_16.html

Michelle Otis of CA 1:00PM February 23, 2010

Polio won't come back here like measles--measles was never fully eradicated like polio. The only polio cases are ones caused by the vaccine. Smallpox is gone. That is why we don't vaccinate against it anymore. Most of these diseases had subsided greatly before vaccines due to clean water, surroundings, and general improvement in hygiene. That is why 3rd world countries have such a problem.
In the end a parent should have the medical choice to vaccinate or not and should not be a zombie following Offit-minded Drs. who obviously have conflicts of interest.
If a child is hurt by a disease that has a vaccine than the parent will feel guilty. If a parent gives children the shots and they are 'wrecked' and autistic, asthmatic, etc. how do you think they would feel? It is a double-edged sword here, not a simple proposition.
And to the woman who asked why "your kids are better than mine?" That attitude is sick and suggests an underlying sense that vaccinations are bad. If my kids have to be exposed to this crap, than your kids should be too...

PJ of SC 8:42AM October 19, 2009

I cannot even comprehend how a government employee who is responsible for authorizing vaccines could have a personal profit off of them. That is OUTRAGEOUS!

Melissa of FL 10:59PM August 21, 2009

The medical and pharmaceutical insdustries offer one side of the picture; the anti-vaccine movement offers another. It's obvious which side has the most money on its side, but I commend those here who are interested in looking at both sides of the issue. What I don't commend is the blanket assertion by doctors that anyone who questions their judgement is a kook and "unscientific." Even the Vaccination Court in Washington has acknowledged a link between some vaccinations and Autism-spectrum disorder. You can read an article about the Vaccination Court's own conflicted rulings here, complete with links to the case that awarded a plaintiff a huge settlement because the plaintiff had proved a link between the vaccine and ASD: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-and-david-kirby/vaccine-court-autism-deba_b_169673.html

Don of NY 10:42AM March 18, 2009

Johns asks, "But he then says these people would suffer from life without vaccines. How does he know this?"
He and many others know this because 1) before vaccines came along millions of children and adults died or were injured from the diseases vaccines prevent.
2) Diseases come back when vaccination rates go down. Measles is coming back in the United States because vaccinations for MMR are declining. More so in England. Remember polio? If you don't, watch the PBS documentary. Then thank God your parents made you get vaccinated.
3) Example: Tetanus does not develop a permanent antibody response so booster doses through out life are necessary. If one does not keep up with these shots, the danger of tetanus increases. There is no cure for tetanus except prevention through vaccination.
Americans are incredibly well-protected from vaccine preventable diseases, so much so that they have become complacent. Unvaccinated children can get away without shots because most of the people around them ARE vaccinated. But that will change if vaccination rates go down. Secondly, many are scientifically illiterate. Immunology is complicated. People are easily frightened by things they don't understand. Take the idea of poison.
Stating that mercury is a poison is not enough. Most substances, from table salt to water, are poison if taken in too great a quantity. The key things are dose and chemical composition. A friend of mine drank 15 Pepsis on a very hot day and had a seizure. So, shall we ban Pepsi? Methyl mercury is very neurotoxic. Ethyl mercury that used to be in most vaccines is a mercury but its properties are not the same as Methyl mercury. There has never been a known case of brain damage from vaccines containing ethyl mercury which has been used in vaccines since the 1930s. It was removed from childhood vaccines because it was found that its cumulative concentration in a series of multiple vaccinations was higher than the FDA standard for methyl mercury. There was no standard for ethyl mercury. This was probably a prudent move even though there was no known damage.
So, try to understand the nuances before you rush to make untenable conclusions.
Vaccines are not risk-free. But life is not either. I would rather not die from tetanus, polio, or whooping cough, or develop liver cancer from Hepatitis B, or have my liver melt from fulminating Hepatitis A.

James Costello of CA 2:47AM March 05, 2009

I have recently read a book by Dr. Sears on vaccines. It is a book that is neither for or against vaccines. It simply states who makes what vaccines, what goes into them, the side effects and if they are worth having. Along the way I learned that not only are the vaccines mixed with Aluminum,other human and animal tissue are used in making them. No one speaks of any potentially harmful outcomes caused by this.There was such an outbreak in the 90's with SR-40. I dont have the book in front of me and am not sure it that is the correct name but I believe something was wrong with the tissues of monkeys that were used in the making of the vaccine.
I also have a 4 month baby and I questioned his need for vaccines. There seems to be some diseases that are not associated with childhood. Tetanus is almost unheard of in infants but in order for children to have protection against Petussis, they have to have tetanus. That makes no sense to me. Also, the likelihood that my son will acquire Hepatitis B is also unlikely. I dont plan on putting him in daycare.

Nancy of NJ 3:52PM February 26, 2009

I would like everyone who dislikes vaccines to look into the eyes of any parent whose child died of HIB or meningococcal meningitis and tell them their kids died for a good cause. You're all idiots.

TMS of NY 3:42PM February 14, 2009

Hey Kristi of CO. My kids were all vaccinated on schedule (4boys). They are all excelling academically. Why are your kids "better" than mine? Point is, Dr. Offit is right that no scientific evidence associates vaccines and autism. Why has this country ignored decades of statistical proof and chose to believe Hollywood celebrities instead? Because they are pretty? I'm 43 and I recently had my DPT booster. You ought to consider one.

of 3:21PM January 29, 2009

Offit uses anecdotal stories when it suits his purpose and scoffs at them when they don't. We should all buy into his flu story, but he does not believe ALL the parents who feel their child was damaged by an immunization. What a narrow minded view!
Of course noone who ever really questions vaccine psuedo-science would ever work on the development of a vaccine, so why would we expect him to have any ability to entertain an alternate viewpoint?
I do not believe in treating a disease I do not have. That should be my inalienable right.

Marc of NY 1:21PM January 27, 2009