Eroding Immunity: Vaccine Hesitancy and Cynicism

Paul Offit, MD, Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology, Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, identifies himself as a "vaccine skeptic"–someone who demands data and evidence–which he believes is the appropriate stance for medical professionals and regulators.

After the Cutter incident in 1955, which resulted in 250 cases of polio caused by batches of polio vaccine containing live polio virus given to the public, the FDA took up this mantle in evaluating vaccines. He warns that public discourse has moved dangerously past healthy skepticism into harmful cynicism, particularly through conspiracy theorists who dismiss scientific evidence by claiming researchers are "in the pocket of Big Pharma." This cynicism threatens public health as vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and pertussis are re-emerging due to declining vaccination rates, with polio potentially following if immunization continues to decrease.

Host

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lori Ellis⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Head of Insights, BioSpace

Guests

Paul Offit, MD, Director of the Vaccine Education Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia; Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this discussion by guests are their own and do not represent those of their organizations.