Many years ago a friend and I attended a panel discussion in Philadelphia regarding vaccines and Dr. Offit was one of the presenters. I was attending as the parent of a child with autism who had been involved with the autism/vaccine movement since around 2000. My friend received the MMR vaccine prior to entering graduate school for her MBA and developed ulcerative colitis not long after. Same happened to her sister when she received the same shot prior to entering graduate school Because of this, she was very supportive of me and the vaccine/autism connection. We were probably in our late 40s/early 50s at the time and the audience was mostly fawning students of my favorite Dr. At some point, Dr. Offit was taking questions from the audience and someone (a male) asked about autism and vaccines. I must say, I did take some pleasure from watching Dr. Offit lose his cool and start sputtering and stammering and angrily respond to the question in the typical brush off way. When the program ended, my friend and I headed to the bank of elevators to leave and saw an elevator filled with female students surrounding Dr. Offit in the middle and all laughing at a joke he made.
I think it's impossible for Dr. Offit to be an ally. You see, I took my infant son to the pediatrician's to get his wonderful shots. My primary responsibility as a mother was to keep him safe. And I didn't. Doesn't matter that I didn't know. I don't know if I'll ever get over/forgive myself for that. Can my son forgive me? So I don't see how he could psychologically survive acknowledging that vaccines can trigger autism and other devastating harm including seizures, death, etc. when he spent his adult life promoting them. I feel for Dr. Offit. In some way, we are in a similar predicament.
I don't know if it is possible for him to turn. But we should be able to see that if someone like him gave just a little ground it would be earth shattering. A ten minute appearance on MSNBC saying that we need better research and we should support Kennedy in his quest to MAHA, including looking at vaccines. That's all it would take. He would do more than all the Robert Malones, Steve Kirschs, Peter Mcculloughs, Joe Rogans combined. It's because the folks that we need to reach trust him.
I think he desperately wants to be the hero and his dream is slipping away. He can salvage it if he took a more moderate stance.
In order to change the minds of a hundred million we just have to change the mind of the key dozen and the rest will follow. That's the way the herd works.
Such a wise statement. And so few willing to engage those few; your work is itself earth shattering in that in demonstrates unwavering patience, resilience, and clarity. Thank you for your service.
I'll repeat what I always say about Offit which is there's a reason why people call him Paul for Profit. Yes, one can follow the arrogance over his own created vaccine. But we shouldn't ignore the greed for $ and lust for power/name/fame of these people. That he suggests RFK Jr is the grifter is a typical strategy dreamt up by pharma PR machinery to counter facts.
Excellent response, Dr. Setty. My guess is Paul is already in way too deep. He probably feels like he must go "all in". Besides, I'm sure he has a gigantic ego that is extremely fragile and must protect itself at all costs. Too bad this guy with all his breadth of knowledge, decided to back an industry that has done irreparable harm on the population. Sadly, I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg.
Sometimes the kindest people assume the best about others who don't deserve it. I feel this way about Charles Eisenstein also (not that he doesn't deserve it, but that his heart is so big there's something naive there ( https://mitteldorf.substack.com/p/open-letter-to-charles-eisenstein ).
I know for sure that there are people on the left who truly believe all vaccines are great, the covid shot did far more good than harm, and climate change is whatever "the Science" says it is. I know these people personally, they are kind, empathic, and I don't think they read primary source data. They're not "dial a quote experts" recycled by entities so corrupt they have knowingly murdered millions.
Perhaps I'm wrong about Paul Offit, but I don't think he is capable of change. There's something about him that seems nice, relatable, casual. That's probably why he's so good at what he does - gaslighting the planet, gaslighting the vaccine injured and their parents, and spreading so many lies.
But your work in taking down his arguments is essential, to be on record, to speak for truth, to show side-by-side what he says vs the more solid information that can be followed all the way down.
Keep going, please ... perhaps there will be a miracle with Dr Offit, but at least you are recording history accurately ... a profoundly important task.
Thanks, Ellen. I will continue to drop comments in those substacks written by influential people whom I disagree with. I think it is such a priceless opportunity to bring reason to the mob. I don't understand why more people on our side don't act on it.
If you read the responses to my comments on his stack it's quite incredible. It draws out the completely unhinged. It's a bit disquieting but offers a fascinating look at how powerfully programmed some of them are.
One has to engage intelligently, never insulting anyone or jumping to conclusions that cannot be reasonably defended. Sometimes that could be the difference for readers who are silently observing. We have to win this one person at a time.
I think deep down inside he wants to be a hero with a legacy for doing the right thing. He’s made his millions. He’s almost 70. Once he sees that he could be an even bigger character in this by pushing for more safety he could turn.
He can see the writing on the wall. What’s the use of another 50 million now if you might be remembered as Dr. PrOffit for ever more?
It's like a plea deal. The evidence is stacked against him. There's a new sheriff in town. But instead of getting off with less jail time he gets to be always remembered as a hero.
Perhaps he has fears he will be ostracized, attacked, and fired like we witnessed with McCulluogh, Marik, Kory, etc. that outweigh his desire to preserve his legacy. Which way do the scales tip for the prices he’ll eventually pay with either decision may be in the calculus.
Agreed. And, In order to step into the hero's role there has to be a worthy adversary that is bested. We see this in his approach now, painting vaccine hesitancy as "Big Antivax" and in an earlier article using the Galileo analogy as his fight against giants like RFK Jr.
He's deluded, of course. He may never see the light but I think it is worthwhile to try and turn him, for the benefit of all. I have no problem looking hopelessly naive if things don't change. I would rather be hopeful than cynical any day.
I don't have much hope for Offit. His tone in his book Autism's False Prophets suggests he regrets the issue of thimerosal in vaccines ever was made public. A man that thinks there is justification to lie or hide, the amount of mercury in vaccines in the name of vaccine uptake isn't going to have a road-to-Demascus-type turnaround. I think Prasad is the 'best' we can hope for in terms of a still mainstream Dr. coming around through transparency.
Hands down; Offit unhinged. His whole reason for being is dependent on the unassailable legitimacy of vaccination. As Offit reveals with each of his middle-school yammerings. his dependency is pathological. For that alone, he should be nowhere near a vax advisory committee.
(Maybe Offit was bullied in school--being a Nerd. I could see Offit running to the Teacher crying after Bobby bullied the scrawny future High Priest of Jabs).
Wow! You’re right! comments show how baked in vax ideology. Offit knows he can recklessly misrepresent RFKjr—offit knows he just needs to call RFK names like “aids denialist” or “measles denier” and he’s covered—i believe he is a person of extremely low intelligence—no character—he is clearly not highly educated— yes, he has med degree— so yes, in small area of vaccines he is “highly trained”— “trained” being the operative word-(like a circus seal) but as far as intelligence and wisdom: zippo.
Also, just out of curiosity, what motivates one like Offit to devote his life to a “vaccine” against a dubious “rotovirsus” causing diarrhea in infants?— i mean, like, how many people grow-up wanting to create vax for diarrhea? anyway, i find him to be repugnant— he gives me the runs every time i read one of his ignorance generating postings — guess i could try his jab
What is this insanity about giving everyone and everything a shot of something (whether as information or medication)? Minds have been lost. Time is passing. We are at peak distraction. Who benefits?👌🐦⬛
I just commented to Toby Rogers that amplifying the voices of the converted is a powerful tool. I would love to see a conversation between you, him, Meryl Nass and Zach Bush. Maybe Jeremiah Hosea could host it? Maybe Doc Malik could join? Please?
Yes. Whenever I listen to another's opinion I become especially attentive if they are someone who changed their minds about something. That's a pretty good way to know that the opinion they are sharing has been informed by all sides.
The great irony is that PrOffit avers that by identifying his potential bias, he is immune to it. Yet the whole point of a double blind test is to eliminate unconscious bias.
Nice olive branch, but the people who knowingly cause tremendous harm only have a change of heart for self-preservation purposes or if they too have been harmed by the very same lies. They are never sincere otherwise. Trusting Offit sounds a lot like marrying a man who you cheated on, and thinking he won't cheat on you.
The problem is that Offit is actually an "industry" that is not "stand alone". There is only one book he wrote which has any worth and that is a very early one on antibiotics, but go and look at his book list. Look at when those books were published. sometimes different titles within days of each other.
If anyone believes that Paul Offit spent the time doing research and writing those books HIMSELF, on his own, I have a planet to sell you for one dollar.
In my opinion, Paul Offit has vested his words, spoken and written, portraying selected narratives ghosetwritten by other people that he has put his name to. It's just not possible to do everything else he does AND write books, AND attend committees, AND write substacks etc etc...
In fact, does he EVEN write his own substacks?
Are they ghost written as well?
There is a lot that does not add up about Offit except profit, and it is the love of money (fame and control) that is at the root of all evil.
In my opinion, Dr. Offit embodies the axiom “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” His financial interests directly shape his thoughts and beliefs, and as a result, he demonstrates the truth that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” through both his words and writings.
He and the rest of the financially conflicted vaccine establishment employ disinformation tactics and leverage authority bias to maintain their false public image. They are practitioners of manufactured consent.
« The question isn't whether you or I have been manipulated – we all have been, in various ways. I've certainly fallen for narratives that later proved false, and had to face the uncomfortable process of reconsidering deeply held positions. The difference lies not in our immunity to deception, but in our willingness to acknowledge it when evidence emerges. A sign of true intelligence isn't the credentials one holds or even the knowledge one possesses, but the willingness to reconsider viewpoints when new information comes to light.
Those who seem most resistant to changing their minds often have the most invested in the status quo – whether professionally, socially, or psychologically. Their resistance isn't evidence of inferior intelligence but of deeper investment in the systems that shaped their success.
Meanwhile, those with less to lose from system change – the working class, the marginalized, those who've witnessed systemic failure firsthand – often display a more grounded skepticism toward institutional narratives.
Understanding these psychological barriers doesn't mean abandoning the pursuit of truth. Instead, it means approaching it with greater compassion, recognizing that behind every fierce defense of a false narrative lies a very human fear of what changing one's mind might cost.
We've all been manipulated - it's universal. The difference is in owning it. A society that can't grows ever more vulnerable. Truth requires not just better systems but self-awareness - making reconsideration an act of courage, not defeat. »
Very good comment. I'd like to see you on a bigger stage, like Tucker Carlson. You deserve it.
Agreed.
Many years ago a friend and I attended a panel discussion in Philadelphia regarding vaccines and Dr. Offit was one of the presenters. I was attending as the parent of a child with autism who had been involved with the autism/vaccine movement since around 2000. My friend received the MMR vaccine prior to entering graduate school for her MBA and developed ulcerative colitis not long after. Same happened to her sister when she received the same shot prior to entering graduate school Because of this, she was very supportive of me and the vaccine/autism connection. We were probably in our late 40s/early 50s at the time and the audience was mostly fawning students of my favorite Dr. At some point, Dr. Offit was taking questions from the audience and someone (a male) asked about autism and vaccines. I must say, I did take some pleasure from watching Dr. Offit lose his cool and start sputtering and stammering and angrily respond to the question in the typical brush off way. When the program ended, my friend and I headed to the bank of elevators to leave and saw an elevator filled with female students surrounding Dr. Offit in the middle and all laughing at a joke he made.
I think it's impossible for Dr. Offit to be an ally. You see, I took my infant son to the pediatrician's to get his wonderful shots. My primary responsibility as a mother was to keep him safe. And I didn't. Doesn't matter that I didn't know. I don't know if I'll ever get over/forgive myself for that. Can my son forgive me? So I don't see how he could psychologically survive acknowledging that vaccines can trigger autism and other devastating harm including seizures, death, etc. when he spent his adult life promoting them. I feel for Dr. Offit. In some way, we are in a similar predicament.
What an incredible share. Thank you, Lori.
I don't know if it is possible for him to turn. But we should be able to see that if someone like him gave just a little ground it would be earth shattering. A ten minute appearance on MSNBC saying that we need better research and we should support Kennedy in his quest to MAHA, including looking at vaccines. That's all it would take. He would do more than all the Robert Malones, Steve Kirschs, Peter Mcculloughs, Joe Rogans combined. It's because the folks that we need to reach trust him.
I think he desperately wants to be the hero and his dream is slipping away. He can salvage it if he took a more moderate stance.
In order to change the minds of a hundred million we just have to change the mind of the key dozen and the rest will follow. That's the way the herd works.
Absolutely right Dr Setty.
It would be a beautiful thing to see more of these people get over their denial.
Thanks for sharing Lori.
Such a wise statement. And so few willing to engage those few; your work is itself earth shattering in that in demonstrates unwavering patience, resilience, and clarity. Thank you for your service.
I'll repeat what I always say about Offit which is there's a reason why people call him Paul for Profit. Yes, one can follow the arrogance over his own created vaccine. But we shouldn't ignore the greed for $ and lust for power/name/fame of these people. That he suggests RFK Jr is the grifter is a typical strategy dreamt up by pharma PR machinery to counter facts.
Excellent response, Dr. Setty. My guess is Paul is already in way too deep. He probably feels like he must go "all in". Besides, I'm sure he has a gigantic ego that is extremely fragile and must protect itself at all costs. Too bad this guy with all his breadth of knowledge, decided to back an industry that has done irreparable harm on the population. Sadly, I think we've only seen the tip of the iceberg.
Sometimes the kindest people assume the best about others who don't deserve it. I feel this way about Charles Eisenstein also (not that he doesn't deserve it, but that his heart is so big there's something naive there ( https://mitteldorf.substack.com/p/open-letter-to-charles-eisenstein ).
I know for sure that there are people on the left who truly believe all vaccines are great, the covid shot did far more good than harm, and climate change is whatever "the Science" says it is. I know these people personally, they are kind, empathic, and I don't think they read primary source data. They're not "dial a quote experts" recycled by entities so corrupt they have knowingly murdered millions.
Perhaps I'm wrong about Paul Offit, but I don't think he is capable of change. There's something about him that seems nice, relatable, casual. That's probably why he's so good at what he does - gaslighting the planet, gaslighting the vaccine injured and their parents, and spreading so many lies.
But your work in taking down his arguments is essential, to be on record, to speak for truth, to show side-by-side what he says vs the more solid information that can be followed all the way down.
Keep going, please ... perhaps there will be a miracle with Dr Offit, but at least you are recording history accurately ... a profoundly important task.
Thanks, Ellen. I will continue to drop comments in those substacks written by influential people whom I disagree with. I think it is such a priceless opportunity to bring reason to the mob. I don't understand why more people on our side don't act on it.
If you read the responses to my comments on his stack it's quite incredible. It draws out the completely unhinged. It's a bit disquieting but offers a fascinating look at how powerfully programmed some of them are.
One has to engage intelligently, never insulting anyone or jumping to conclusions that cannot be reasonably defended. Sometimes that could be the difference for readers who are silently observing. We have to win this one person at a time.
People say he got $50 million from Merck and an endowed chair for his rotavirus vaccine.
What are you offering him to switch sides, Madhava?
I think deep down inside he wants to be a hero with a legacy for doing the right thing. He’s made his millions. He’s almost 70. Once he sees that he could be an even bigger character in this by pushing for more safety he could turn.
He can see the writing on the wall. What’s the use of another 50 million now if you might be remembered as Dr. PrOffit for ever more?
It's like a plea deal. The evidence is stacked against him. There's a new sheriff in town. But instead of getting off with less jail time he gets to be always remembered as a hero.
Perhaps he has fears he will be ostracized, attacked, and fired like we witnessed with McCulluogh, Marik, Kory, etc. that outweigh his desire to preserve his legacy. Which way do the scales tip for the prices he’ll eventually pay with either decision may be in the calculus.
Agreed. And, In order to step into the hero's role there has to be a worthy adversary that is bested. We see this in his approach now, painting vaccine hesitancy as "Big Antivax" and in an earlier article using the Galileo analogy as his fight against giants like RFK Jr.
He's deluded, of course. He may never see the light but I think it is worthwhile to try and turn him, for the benefit of all. I have no problem looking hopelessly naive if things don't change. I would rather be hopeful than cynical any day.
Well done. Nice piece of writing with purpose. THIS is why I subscribe.♥️
I don't have much hope for Offit. His tone in his book Autism's False Prophets suggests he regrets the issue of thimerosal in vaccines ever was made public. A man that thinks there is justification to lie or hide, the amount of mercury in vaccines in the name of vaccine uptake isn't going to have a road-to-Demascus-type turnaround. I think Prasad is the 'best' we can hope for in terms of a still mainstream Dr. coming around through transparency.
Hands down; Offit unhinged. His whole reason for being is dependent on the unassailable legitimacy of vaccination. As Offit reveals with each of his middle-school yammerings. his dependency is pathological. For that alone, he should be nowhere near a vax advisory committee.
(Maybe Offit was bullied in school--being a Nerd. I could see Offit running to the Teacher crying after Bobby bullied the scrawny future High Priest of Jabs).
Well, if you want to see people who exemplify that archetype to the Nth degree, read the responses to my comments over there.
Wow! You’re right! comments show how baked in vax ideology. Offit knows he can recklessly misrepresent RFKjr—offit knows he just needs to call RFK names like “aids denialist” or “measles denier” and he’s covered—i believe he is a person of extremely low intelligence—no character—he is clearly not highly educated— yes, he has med degree— so yes, in small area of vaccines he is “highly trained”— “trained” being the operative word-(like a circus seal) but as far as intelligence and wisdom: zippo.
Also, just out of curiosity, what motivates one like Offit to devote his life to a “vaccine” against a dubious “rotovirsus” causing diarrhea in infants?— i mean, like, how many people grow-up wanting to create vax for diarrhea? anyway, i find him to be repugnant— he gives me the runs every time i read one of his ignorance generating postings — guess i could try his jab
What is this insanity about giving everyone and everything a shot of something (whether as information or medication)? Minds have been lost. Time is passing. We are at peak distraction. Who benefits?👌🐦⬛
I just commented to Toby Rogers that amplifying the voices of the converted is a powerful tool. I would love to see a conversation between you, him, Meryl Nass and Zach Bush. Maybe Jeremiah Hosea could host it? Maybe Doc Malik could join? Please?
Yes. Whenever I listen to another's opinion I become especially attentive if they are someone who changed their minds about something. That's a pretty good way to know that the opinion they are sharing has been informed by all sides.
The great irony is that PrOffit avers that by identifying his potential bias, he is immune to it. Yet the whole point of a double blind test is to eliminate unconscious bias.
Nice olive branch, but the people who knowingly cause tremendous harm only have a change of heart for self-preservation purposes or if they too have been harmed by the very same lies. They are never sincere otherwise. Trusting Offit sounds a lot like marrying a man who you cheated on, and thinking he won't cheat on you.
The problem is that Offit is actually an "industry" that is not "stand alone". There is only one book he wrote which has any worth and that is a very early one on antibiotics, but go and look at his book list. Look at when those books were published. sometimes different titles within days of each other.
If anyone believes that Paul Offit spent the time doing research and writing those books HIMSELF, on his own, I have a planet to sell you for one dollar.
In my opinion, Paul Offit has vested his words, spoken and written, portraying selected narratives ghosetwritten by other people that he has put his name to. It's just not possible to do everything else he does AND write books, AND attend committees, AND write substacks etc etc...
In fact, does he EVEN write his own substacks?
Are they ghost written as well?
There is a lot that does not add up about Offit except profit, and it is the love of money (fame and control) that is at the root of all evil.
In my opinion, Dr. Offit embodies the axiom “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” His financial interests directly shape his thoughts and beliefs, and as a result, he demonstrates the truth that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” through both his words and writings.
He and the rest of the financially conflicted vaccine establishment employ disinformation tactics and leverage authority bias to maintain their false public image. They are practitioners of manufactured consent.
W. Campbell Douglass III MD, MS
Here is a very interesting piece from Joshua Stylman that might explain why some will never change their narrative:
https://stylman.substack.com/p/the-prison-of-certainty?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=email&open=false
He brings few suggestions for action.
Concluding at the end:
« The question isn't whether you or I have been manipulated – we all have been, in various ways. I've certainly fallen for narratives that later proved false, and had to face the uncomfortable process of reconsidering deeply held positions. The difference lies not in our immunity to deception, but in our willingness to acknowledge it when evidence emerges. A sign of true intelligence isn't the credentials one holds or even the knowledge one possesses, but the willingness to reconsider viewpoints when new information comes to light.
Those who seem most resistant to changing their minds often have the most invested in the status quo – whether professionally, socially, or psychologically. Their resistance isn't evidence of inferior intelligence but of deeper investment in the systems that shaped their success.
Meanwhile, those with less to lose from system change – the working class, the marginalized, those who've witnessed systemic failure firsthand – often display a more grounded skepticism toward institutional narratives.
Understanding these psychological barriers doesn't mean abandoning the pursuit of truth. Instead, it means approaching it with greater compassion, recognizing that behind every fierce defense of a false narrative lies a very human fear of what changing one's mind might cost.
We've all been manipulated - it's universal. The difference is in owning it. A society that can't grows ever more vulnerable. Truth requires not just better systems but self-awareness - making reconsideration an act of courage, not defeat. »