60 Minutes-REMINDER of who Dr. Paul Offit is:

Paul Offit, MD, is Chief, Section of Infectious Diseases and the Henle Professor of Immunologic and Infectious Diseases at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  He is a HOLDER OF A ROTAVIRUS VACCINE PATENT who was part of the team who mandated rotavirus vaccine - you remember that dangerous vaccine that was taken off the market AFTER it had damaged children, NOT before even though they had
the information it was dangerous.

Dr. Offit lists that he is a consultant to Merck on an attachment to his OGE 450, but does not disclose whether or not he received any remuneration for his services.

Dr. Offit is a member of the CDC advisory committee and disclosed that he received $350,000 grant money from Merck to develop the rotavirus vaccine, in which he shares the patent, which was pulled 6 months after is was licensed because of severe problems.  He gets paid to go around the country teaching doctors that vaccines are safe. (Wall Street Journal). 

Dr. Offit began his tenure on ACIP in October of 1998.  Out of four votes pertaining to the ACIP's rotavirus statement he voted "yes" three times, including, voting for the inclusion of the rotavirus vaccine in the VFC program.

Dr. Offit abstained from voting on the ACIP's rescission of the recommendation of the rotavirus vaccine for routine use.  He stated at the meeting, "I'm not conflicted with Wyeth, but because I consult with Merck on the development of rotavirus vaccine, I would still prefer to abstain because it creates a perception of conflict."    

Excerpted From the House of Representatives Gov't Reform Committee Staff Report

http://www.whale.to/v/staff.html

Application to the FDA
December 9, 1994
Fred Clark, Paul Offit, Stanley Plotkin (Inventors); Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology and Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania (Assignees)
Filed U.S. Patent for Rotavirus reassortant vaccine. Application number 353547

Here are a couple other examples of the conflicts of interest:

•  Individuals on the advisory committee own patents for vaccines under consideration.
•  The CDC grants conflict-of- interest waivers to every member of their advisory committee.
•  The committee chair, Dr. John Moldin, owns stock in Merck, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies valued at $26,000.
•  The advisory committee has no public members.
•  Dr. Harry Greenberg, chair to the FDA owns $120,000 stock in Aviron, a vaccine manufacture. 
•  He also owns $40,000 of Chiron stock, another vaccine manufacture.
•  Last year, a provision protecting pharmaceutical companies from liability was slipped into our Home Land Security Bill, BioShield Bill and a couple of other bills.  We are the organization who fully funded two rallys in front of the capital and had the provision reversed!  
•  Betty D. Fluck on May 18, 1999 at a Government Reform Subcommittee hearing. Her testimony states:  "I have the minutes from a CDC Study Group meeting on the hepatitis B vaccine held in March 1997.  It should be noted that the afternoon session of this meeting was chaired by Dr. Robert Sharrar of Merck."
•  The Scotland on Sunday newspaper article of September 30, 2001, where the following was mentioned:  "Professor David Elliman, whose study said fears of a link between the MMR vaccine and autism were unfounded, admitted that he and Dr. Helen Bedford had been given money by drug giantes SmithKline Beecham and Pasteur Merieux Merck Sharp & Dohme." 

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