EPISODE 117 - Welcome to this special *BONUS* episode! Since the content of this ep is so timely, I wanted to release it stat!! Paul Offit, MD, is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as well as the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He has published more than 160 papers in medical and scientific journals in the areas of rotavirus-specific immune responses and vaccine safety, and he’s authored 10 books. Dr. Offit is also the co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq, recommended for universal use in infants by the CDC in 2006 and by the WHO in 2013. In the episode, he shares why everyone who is eligible (kids included!) should get vaccinated ASAP, why the vaccine doesn’t impact fertility or alter your DNA, why “booster mania” may be stalling herd immunity...and more!

EPISODE WEBPAGE: thehealthinvestment.com/117

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QUESTIONS I ASK DR. OFFIT IN THE EPISODE:

Can you tell us a bit about your background? (Specifically, what led you to become a pediatrician and become particularly interested in vaccines and infectious diseases?)

I've seen and read some hesitation from parents to get their kids vaccinated against COVID because "most children have mild symptoms or no symptoms." Why is it important to vaccinate children, not just adults?

What risks are parents mostly worried about when it comes to vaccinating their kids? Are possible risks from the vaccine worse than risks from getting COVID?

What are the top myths that you're hearing from parents, particularly in regard to vaccinating their kids, and how are you addressing those?

What would you identify as the main reason people have doubts about vaccines in general?

How are risks (from contracting COVID and getting vaccinated) similar and different for adults as they are for kids?

Has there always been some level of controversy around vaccines? 

Do you think the anti-vaccine movement is gaining momentum? Is social media making it worse? 

What's your advice to parents who have kids that are still not yet eligible for a vaccine?

Do you think that the COVID vaccine should join the list of immunizations that are mandated by schools?

You've called the rush to get boosted "booster mania," and believe that it could be harmful to our overall efforts to reach unvaccinated kids and adults. Why is that?

Where has the White House’s messaging missed the mark?

Is there a magic number of vaccinations that we need to reach to finally move beyond this pandemic? If so, is that attainable in the coming months?

LINKS [SOME MAY BE AFFILIATE LINKS; PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO]:

Get more of your COVID questions answered: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center/making-vaccines/prevent-covid

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