Paul Offit

Paul Offit is an American pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and an expert on vaccines, immunology, and virology. He is the co-inventor of a rotavirus vaccine that has been credited with saving hundreds of lives every day. Offit is the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology, Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Early life and education

Offit was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He studied at the University of Maryland, College Park where he received a B.S. degree in 1972. He then attended the University of Maryland School of Medicine, earning his M.D. in 1976. He completed his residency in Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Career

In 1980, Offit joined the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) where he worked on the development of a vaccine against rotavirus. In 1991, he became the head of the Division of Infectious Diseases at CHOP and the Director of the Vaccine Education Center.

Offit's work on the rotavirus vaccine, along with his colleague H. Fred Clark and Stanley Plotkin, led to the development of RotaTeq, which is now in global use. RotaTeq is credited with saving around 500 lives per day.

Offit has published more than 160 papers in medical and scientific journals in the areas of rotavirus-specific immune responses and vaccine safety. He is also a prolific author of books on vaccines, vaccination, and the public's understanding of science.

Advocacy

Offit is a prominent advocate of vaccination. He has often spoken out against the vaccine hesitancy movement, arguing that the fears it stokes are not based in fact and that vaccines save lives. He has been particularly critical of the anti-vaccination movement, which he accuses of spreading misinformation and fear.

Awards and recognition

Offit has received numerous awards and recognition for his work, including the J. Edmund Bradley Prize for Excellence in Pediatrics from the University of Maryland Medical School, the Young Investigator Award in Vaccine Development from the Infectious Disease Society of America, and a Research Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health.

Personal life

Offit is married and has two children. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

See also

• Vaccine controversies
• MMR vaccine controversy
• Thimerosal controversy

External links

• Official website