1) In testimony before Congress on April 6, 2000, Mr. Offit stated, “In addition, I have been in collaboration with Merck and Co. on the development of a rotavirus vaccine since 1992.”

2) In speaking to a journalist, Mr. Offit stated, “I am a co-holder of a patent for a (rotavirus) vaccine. If this vaccine were to become a routinely recommended vaccine, I would make money off of that."

3) In the New England Journal of Medicine, it was stated at the end of an article by Dr. Offit, “Dr. Offit reports being a co-inventor and co-holder of a patent on the rotavirus vaccine RotaTeq, from which he and his institution receive royalties, as well as serving on a scientific advisory board for Merck.”

4) The Committee on Government Reform of the U.S. Congress reported that “Dr. Offit shares the patent on the Rotavirus vaccine in development by Merck and received a $350,000 grant from Merck for Rotavirus vaccine development. Also, he acts as a consultant to Merck.”

Congressional Reprimand

1) In August 2000, the Committee on Government Reform of the US Congress issued a highly critical document called Conflict of Interest in Vaccine Policy Making. Dr. Offit was reprimanded by Congress and his actions were a primary focus of the report.

2) The report focused on the introduction of the Rotavirus vaccine called Rotashield in the late 1990s. The report stated, “A little more than one year after the “RotaShield” rotavirus vaccine was licensed by the Food and Drug Administration as a safe and effective vaccine, it was removed from the market due to adverse events. More than 100 cases of severe bowel obstruction, or intussusception, were reported in children who had received the vaccine.”

3) The report singled Dr. Offit out for questionable voting as a member of the Advisory Committee (“ACIP”) affiliated with CDC that adds new vaccines to the vaccine schedule. The report stated, “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.”

Death & Damage From Paul Offit’s Rotavirus Vaccine

1) In 2006, Dr. Offit’s vaccine, Rotateq, was added to the CDC’s recommended schedule.

2) In May 2008, it was reported that, “Later in 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there were 117 confirmed cases of intussusception among recipients of Rotateq between March 2006 and June 2007.” This is more cases of bowel obstruction than the vaccine the FDA recalled from the market, Rotashield.

Also, in 2008 it was reported that, “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an update to the product label for Merck & Co.’s Rotateq vaccine to include the report of a death of a recipient due to an intestinal obstruction.”