The quintessential scientist, Dr. Paul Offit does not believe a medical assertion without clinical proof. In his 2008 book, Autism’s False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure, Dr. Paul Offit describes numerous epidemiological studies, all disproving any link between autism and the vaccine preservative thimerosal. He also points out the fallacies of studies connecting autism to measles vaccines.

As Chief of the Infectious Diseases Section and Director of the Vaccine Education Center (vaccine.chop.edu) at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Paul Offit has garnered numerous awards in recognition of his contribution to the field of immunology. He received the Ralph D. Feigin Award for Excellence for Outstanding Advocacy for Immunizations and the Dr. Charles Mérieux Award for Achievement in Vaccinology and Immunology from the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. In addition, Dr. Paul Offit holds the Stanley A. Plotkin Award for Outstanding Achievement in Vaccines from the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and the Lederle Young Investigator Award in Vaccine Development.

Dr. Paul Offit holds the co-patent on the vaccine RotaTeq, used to combat the rotavirus, which kills thousands of children daily worldwide. As such, he earned recognition from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Living Proof Project for Global Health and received the Jonas Salk Bronze Medal from the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia also honored Dr. Paul Offit for this achievement with a Gold Medal Award.

A graduate of Tufts University, Dr. Paul Offit obtained a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Subsequently, he completed an internship and residency in pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. He undertook a fellowship in infectious diseases at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and now serves as its Chief of the division of Infectious Diseases.