Seeking vaccine expertise

Many scientists and medical professionals are involved in making a difference in preventing diseases today. One of the leading doctors in this effort to protect our society against preventable diseases is Paul A.Offit, MD. Dr. Offit, a Baltimore native, grew up as the son of a shirtmaker and was motivated at the young age of five to become a doctor after spending time in a hospital during his recovery room a foot surgery. Driven by experiences that he had as a young boy he went on to become the first doctor in his family and has made a notable difference in the field of vaccines and disease prevention.

As the Director of the Vaccine Education Center and the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Offit also fits in his schedule fulfilling the role of Professor of Vaccinology and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of the Pennsylvania School of Medicine. For the work that he tirelessly performs, Offit is the recipient of many prestigious awards, including awards from the Infectious Disease Society of America and the National Institutes of Health. He has also been published in medical and scientific journals, and written several books on the topic of vaccines and disease prevention.

  

Alongside two of his colleagues, Offit jointly conducted research that lead to the invention of RotaTeq, a vaccine used around the world to prevent rotavirus. Rotavirus is a virus that causes diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration. Back in 1979, Offit was motivated to find a solution to the problem of rotavirus-induced diarrhea after losing a 9-month-old patient to this virus during his pediatric residency. In February 2006, RotaTeq was incorporated into the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) recommended immunization schedule after its approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Offit has been and is a great advocate for the use of vaccines. He is a member of several well-known national committees and boards that support disease prevention and autism awareness. Because of Offit’s contributions in the field of vaccines, Offit has been the focus of many anti-vaccine efforts as a result of an unproven claim that links vaccines as a cause for autism. According to Gerber and Offit (2009) many global studies have been conducted with the intent to disprove the supposed link between vaccines and autism and the findings all point to the lack of a connection between the two.

In addition to his extensive expertise in vaccines, Offit has reviewed the research in the area of vitamins and supplements. Offit found, through his interpretations and analyses, that essentially too much of a good thing can be bad for you. Offit does not support the use of daily supplements that are not regulated by the FDA. So many of the vitamin and supplement manufacturers are creating products that encourage an excess in dietary supplements of what the body needs in order to maintain a healthy balance. For the average human, this excess of supplements can cause for he body’s antioxidants and free radicals to become unbalanced and result in making the body more susceptible to cancer, heart disease, and a decreased life span, all of which we can agree are undesirable outcomes. Offit has compiled his findings on this topic and authored a book titled, Do You Believe in Magic? Vitamins, supplements, and all things natural: A look behind the curtain. 

References

Gerber, J. S., & Offit, P. A. (2009). Vaccines and Autism: A Tale of Shifting Hypotheses. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 48, 456-461.

Offit, P. A. (2008, May 15). Vaccines adnn Autism Revisited-The Hannah Poling Case. The New England Journal of Medicine, 358, 2089-2091.

Offit, P. A. (2013, June 09). Don’t take your vitamins. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/opinion/sunday/dont-take-your-vitamins.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0