Twenty years ago, I had a one-hour conversation with RFK Jr. In his current campaign for president, he has referred to that conversation during public appearances. It’s time to set the record straight
Paul Offit has NEVER called for data transparency of the public health record level data so we all can see what is going on. He is not a friend of truth and transparency.
Scientists should be afraid to be challenged.
I believe Paul Offit will never debate RFK Jr., e.g., on Rogan so we can hear both sides of the story real-time.
Thank you for writing this. My father, Samuel L Katz, MD had many of the very same lies written about him in that salon/Rolling Stone article as well. Truth matters. He, you, and the many other people who have dedicated their lives to eradicating diseases that kill children do wonderful work and I thank you for it.
Hi Dr Offit, As have many others, I have relied on you and Dr Monica Gandhi for evidence based updates and recommendations during the pandemic. As a critical care RN it scares me how trust on our public health leaders has eroded, and when well known individuals such as RFK Jr use their platform to stoke these same fires it only adds to the problem and as you rightly said, potentially with devastating consequences. Thank you for all you do, and know you are deeply appreciated!
from his writing linked above: Siri writes that many 'journalists' are rebutting RFK Jr's argument that: most vaccines never went through placebo controlled safety studies. Notably, Siri takes aim at an article published by STAT claiming RotaTeq did undergo a placebo control study. Siri says they are wrong and provides evidence.
"RotaTeq is administered via oral drops. A “placebo” would have been water drops in the mouth. The control used in the trial, however, included bioactive ingredients including almost all the ingredients in the RotaTeq vaccine itself.
How do I know this? Because in 2018, on behalf of ICAN, we were investigating the control used in each clinical trial relied upon by the FDA to license each childhood vaccine.
In that review, we found that while the package insert for the RotaTeq vaccine says the control in its clinical trial was a “placebo,” when we read the FDA’s clinical trial review for RotaTeq, the ingredients of this so-called “placebo” were redacted:
So, on behalf of ICAN we submitted a Freedom of Information Act Request to the FDA for “Documents sufficient to identify the ingredients of the ‘placebo’ in the prelicensure clinical trials identified in Section 6.1 of the package insert for RotaTeq.”
In a response dated June 14, 2018, the FDA provided the requested documents which clearly show that the control was not a placebo. Rather, it included polysorbate-80, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, and sucrose.
These same four ingredients are also contained in RotaTeq. The only difference between the vaccine and the control is that RotaTeq also included tissue culture medium and rotavirus reassortments. So, bottom line: the control used in the RotaTeq clinical trial was not a placebo since it included bioactive ingredients."
perhaps Dr Offit is willing to do President Joe Biden a favor and engage RFK Jr in a recorded exchange of ideas to dismantle his arguments & set the record straight?
or perhaps it is more comfortable & convenient to take the peter hoetez way out and only preach to your own echo chamber?
With all due respect, it is difficult to believe anything Dr. Offit writes or says given how he has pushed for the ineffective and dangerous Covid vaccines. He even recommended that healthy children take these ineffective and dangerous shots even though healthy young people were at virtually zero risk from Covid. It was also known that the Covid shots do not stop their recipients from getting ill with Covid or transmitting the virus to those around them. How can a rational man of science support such a thing? Neither has Dr. Offit apologised for or retracted his erroneous and misleading statements regarding Covid injections. This is what an honest scientist would do.
Did anyone else notice the disappearance from this comments section of two excellent, but critical responses to this article? One was by the husband of a surgeon, describing the progress of his own skepticism around the COVID vaccines specifically. It was long, well written, and fully referenced. The other was by a female paediatrician, and challenged several of the points made in the article regarding the threat posed to children, and was also well supported. I may have mixed these up a little, but they were definitely there as of a few hours ago. It seems implausible that both these commenters would delete their well formulated responses. So where did they go?
Did you read the Burbacher study? Sounds like very good indication that ethyl mercury is possibly worse as the concentrations accumulate and last much longer in the brain and other tissues even though clear from the blood.
There was a much higher proportion of inorganic Hg in the brain of thimerosal monkeys than in the brains of MeHg monkeys (up to 71% vs. 10%). Absolute inorganic Hg concentrations in the brains of the thimerosal-exposed monkeys were approximately twice that of the MeHg monkeys. Interestingly, the inorganic fraction in the kidneys of the same cohort of monkeys was also significantly higher after im thimerosal than after oral MeHg exposure (0.71 ± 0.04 vs. 0.40 ± 0.03). This suggests that the dealkylation of ethylmercury is much more extensive than that of MeHg.”
Jun 26, 2023·edited Jun 26, 2023Liked by Paul Offit
It's sad to me that both you and Dr. Hotez have to spend your valuable time clearing up all the lies spewing out of RFK Jr. and Joe Rogan's mouth. Thank you for clearing up those lies.
The Kennedy name has carried lots of weight for years in our country, almost to the point of being treated as royalty. Many Kenedys have and are doing good work in our country, but as in all families, there are those that choose a different path. I live in a town with one of his cousins, (also a lawyer who cares about the environment), served as my State Senator, lost one of his legs from cancer and lives a quiet life continuing to do good work.
RFK was a hero of mine growing up. I was in 7th grade when he was murdered. I still remember getting off my school bus and being told to go straight to our 1st period class (my history class), walking into the room darkened with the TV on and told by my teacher to sit down and mentioned how we are living in history. No discussion, just a sense of importance watching the TV. It's sad that RFK Jr. has chosen a different path.
The problem is that Dr Offitt has had his entire career dependant on the vaccine industry funding. Just like EVERY single pediatrician receives up to 2/3 of their income from reaching vaccination % in their practice, all courtesy of the insurance industry. As long as the pediatrics profession embraces payments instead of science we will continue to see enormous numbers of sids, autism, asthma, eczema, adhd, etc.... A very corrupt state of affairs.
You’re a fraud dude and I’m one of your victims. Why on earth do you think adverse events to pharmaceutical products runs in families. I’ve had many adverse events over 36 years to vaccines, 2 titanium alloy spinal implants both of which had to be removed, composite dental fillings and Cortoss bone cement
I’m allergic to titanium aluminium(and alumina) and mercury. I had the sensory symptoms of autism from the Cortoss bone cement in 2020 including adhd symptoms.
There are many drs who get adhd symptoms from the metals in vaccines. I’ve spoken to many of them. I’ve also asked lots of drs if they know colleagues who have neurotoxic reactions to vaccines and all have said yes so far. I’ve been secretly recording them
The only reason you won’t do a live debate with Kennedy is because you don’t believe what you say you believe and know that Kennedy will show you up as the fraud that you are
I have relied on you for good information during the recent pandemic. I still do. I have been grateful for shows like TWIV and interviews between doctors and scientists that can be easily found on You Tube. Please don’t let this RFK Jr episode deter you from your science communication efforts.
I wish the last jab wasn’t in this piece. You know that RFK has in fact accomplished a lot for the environment so to take a jab like that, for me, unnecessarily weakens this piece.
Paul Offit has NEVER called for data transparency of the public health record level data so we all can see what is going on. He is not a friend of truth and transparency.
Scientists should be afraid to be challenged.
I believe Paul Offit will never debate RFK Jr., e.g., on Rogan so we can hear both sides of the story real-time.
How about it Paul?
Thank you for writing this. My father, Samuel L Katz, MD had many of the very same lies written about him in that salon/Rolling Stone article as well. Truth matters. He, you, and the many other people who have dedicated their lives to eradicating diseases that kill children do wonderful work and I thank you for it.
Hi Dr Offit, As have many others, I have relied on you and Dr Monica Gandhi for evidence based updates and recommendations during the pandemic. As a critical care RN it scares me how trust on our public health leaders has eroded, and when well known individuals such as RFK Jr use their platform to stoke these same fires it only adds to the problem and as you rightly said, potentially with devastating consequences. Thank you for all you do, and know you are deeply appreciated!
It appears attorney Aaron Siri would be open to a conversation with you:
https://aaronsiri.substack.com/p/clinical-trial-to-license-rotateq?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=516360&post_id=131000216&isFreemail=true&utm_medium=email
from his writing linked above: Siri writes that many 'journalists' are rebutting RFK Jr's argument that: most vaccines never went through placebo controlled safety studies. Notably, Siri takes aim at an article published by STAT claiming RotaTeq did undergo a placebo control study. Siri says they are wrong and provides evidence.
"RotaTeq is administered via oral drops. A “placebo” would have been water drops in the mouth. The control used in the trial, however, included bioactive ingredients including almost all the ingredients in the RotaTeq vaccine itself.
How do I know this? Because in 2018, on behalf of ICAN, we were investigating the control used in each clinical trial relied upon by the FDA to license each childhood vaccine.
In that review, we found that while the package insert for the RotaTeq vaccine says the control in its clinical trial was a “placebo,” when we read the FDA’s clinical trial review for RotaTeq, the ingredients of this so-called “placebo” were redacted:
So, on behalf of ICAN we submitted a Freedom of Information Act Request to the FDA for “Documents sufficient to identify the ingredients of the ‘placebo’ in the prelicensure clinical trials identified in Section 6.1 of the package insert for RotaTeq.”
In a response dated June 14, 2018, the FDA provided the requested documents which clearly show that the control was not a placebo. Rather, it included polysorbate-80, sodium citrate, sodium phosphate, and sucrose.
These same four ingredients are also contained in RotaTeq. The only difference between the vaccine and the control is that RotaTeq also included tissue culture medium and rotavirus reassortments. So, bottom line: the control used in the RotaTeq clinical trial was not a placebo since it included bioactive ingredients."
perhaps Dr Offit is willing to do President Joe Biden a favor and engage RFK Jr in a recorded exchange of ideas to dismantle his arguments & set the record straight?
or perhaps it is more comfortable & convenient to take the peter hoetez way out and only preach to your own echo chamber?
With all due respect, it is difficult to believe anything Dr. Offit writes or says given how he has pushed for the ineffective and dangerous Covid vaccines. He even recommended that healthy children take these ineffective and dangerous shots even though healthy young people were at virtually zero risk from Covid. It was also known that the Covid shots do not stop their recipients from getting ill with Covid or transmitting the virus to those around them. How can a rational man of science support such a thing? Neither has Dr. Offit apologised for or retracted his erroneous and misleading statements regarding Covid injections. This is what an honest scientist would do.
Did anyone else notice the disappearance from this comments section of two excellent, but critical responses to this article? One was by the husband of a surgeon, describing the progress of his own skepticism around the COVID vaccines specifically. It was long, well written, and fully referenced. The other was by a female paediatrician, and challenged several of the points made in the article regarding the threat posed to children, and was also well supported. I may have mixed these up a little, but they were definitely there as of a few hours ago. It seems implausible that both these commenters would delete their well formulated responses. So where did they go?
Thank you, facts matter!
Did you read the Burbacher study? Sounds like very good indication that ethyl mercury is possibly worse as the concentrations accumulate and last much longer in the brain and other tissues even though clear from the blood.
There was a much higher proportion of inorganic Hg in the brain of thimerosal monkeys than in the brains of MeHg monkeys (up to 71% vs. 10%). Absolute inorganic Hg concentrations in the brains of the thimerosal-exposed monkeys were approximately twice that of the MeHg monkeys. Interestingly, the inorganic fraction in the kidneys of the same cohort of monkeys was also significantly higher after im thimerosal than after oral MeHg exposure (0.71 ± 0.04 vs. 0.40 ± 0.03). This suggests that the dealkylation of ethylmercury is much more extensive than that of MeHg.”
It's sad to me that both you and Dr. Hotez have to spend your valuable time clearing up all the lies spewing out of RFK Jr. and Joe Rogan's mouth. Thank you for clearing up those lies.
The Kennedy name has carried lots of weight for years in our country, almost to the point of being treated as royalty. Many Kenedys have and are doing good work in our country, but as in all families, there are those that choose a different path. I live in a town with one of his cousins, (also a lawyer who cares about the environment), served as my State Senator, lost one of his legs from cancer and lives a quiet life continuing to do good work.
RFK was a hero of mine growing up. I was in 7th grade when he was murdered. I still remember getting off my school bus and being told to go straight to our 1st period class (my history class), walking into the room darkened with the TV on and told by my teacher to sit down and mentioned how we are living in history. No discussion, just a sense of importance watching the TV. It's sad that RFK Jr. has chosen a different path.
Very soon vaccines will fade out of existence very soon thanks to quacks like you, Offit.
The problem is that Dr Offitt has had his entire career dependant on the vaccine industry funding. Just like EVERY single pediatrician receives up to 2/3 of their income from reaching vaccination % in their practice, all courtesy of the insurance industry. As long as the pediatrics profession embraces payments instead of science we will continue to see enormous numbers of sids, autism, asthma, eczema, adhd, etc.... A very corrupt state of affairs.
You’re a fraud dude and I’m one of your victims. Why on earth do you think adverse events to pharmaceutical products runs in families. I’ve had many adverse events over 36 years to vaccines, 2 titanium alloy spinal implants both of which had to be removed, composite dental fillings and Cortoss bone cement
I’m allergic to titanium aluminium(and alumina) and mercury. I had the sensory symptoms of autism from the Cortoss bone cement in 2020 including adhd symptoms.
There are many drs who get adhd symptoms from the metals in vaccines. I’ve spoken to many of them. I’ve also asked lots of drs if they know colleagues who have neurotoxic reactions to vaccines and all have said yes so far. I’ve been secretly recording them
The only reason you won’t do a live debate with Kennedy is because you don’t believe what you say you believe and know that Kennedy will show you up as the fraud that you are
I wish the media was as concerned with the way this administration has lied and continues to about public health as they are about RFK Jr’s lies.
I have relied on you for good information during the recent pandemic. I still do. I have been grateful for shows like TWIV and interviews between doctors and scientists that can be easily found on You Tube. Please don’t let this RFK Jr episode deter you from your science communication efforts.
I wish the last jab wasn’t in this piece. You know that RFK has in fact accomplished a lot for the environment so to take a jab like that, for me, unnecessarily weakens this piece.
I've met Dr. Offit several times at medical meetings, and he's certainly far more trustworthy and believable than RFK Jr.