Becoming a leader does not shield you from controversy. As the old saying goes, you cannot please everybody. This is certainly the case for Dr. Paul Offit who is recognized as the leading advocate for childhood immunizations in the United States. Even though there is no scientific data which supports the theory that vaccines cause autism, many people are caught up in the hype of what if. If the vaccine does cause autism, no parent wants to have to acknowledge that he or she harmed their child when they thought they were doing what was best.
Dr. Paul Offit holds many positions as the Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases and the director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology; and, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Offit is a public face for the consensus that vaccines are not associated with autism, a brain disorder in children characterized by impaired social interaction and communication. Autism also causes restrictive and repetitive behavior. Of course, this is a condition that no parent wants to see their child endure; however, at the same time, no parent wants to have their child sickened by measles, a contagious, viral disease.
