About the Vaccine Education Center
The Vaccine Education Center at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was launched in October 2000 to provide accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent to parents and healthcare professionals.
The Center, through its Web sites, videos, informational tear sheets and speakers programs, seeks to dispel some of the common misconceptions and misinformation surrounding vaccines. The goal is to communicate the facts about each vaccine as well as how vaccines are made, how and why vaccines work, who recommends them, whether they are safe, whether they are still necessary, and when they should be given.
The Vaccine Education Center is funded by endowed chairs from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and foundation grants. The Center does not receive support from vaccine manufacturers.
Meet the Vaccine Education Center team
The Vaccine Education Center is staffed by a team of scientists, physicians, mothers and fathers.
Center director: Paul A. Offit, MD
Dr. Offit is chief of Infectious Diseases at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of virology and immunology and was a member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Offit has published more than 130 papers in medical and scientific journals. He is the co-author of the books, Vaccines: What You Should Know (Wiley, 2003, third edition), Breaking the Antibiotic Habit: A Parents Guide to Coughs, Colds, Ear Infections, and Sore Throats (Wiley, 1999), and The Cutter Incident (Yale University Press, 2005). Dr. Offit also authored two books, Vaccinated: One Man's Quest to Defeat the World's Deadliest Diseases (Smithsonian Books, 2007), and Autism's False Prophets (Columbia University Press, 2008).
Assistant director: Charlotte Moser, BS
Ms. Moser has extensively published in scientific journals on the topics of immunology and virology. Through her research, Ms. Moser has contributed to our understanding of how vaccines prevent infections of the intestinal tract. She has also developed a novel method to enhance immune responses to vaccines.
Physician-scientist: Susan E. Coffin, MD, MPH
Dr. Coffin is a staff physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. In addition, she received specialty training in Public Health at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Dr. Coffin has published extensively in the areas of mucosal immunology and virology. She is currently the medical director of Infection Control at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Physician: Louis M. Bell, MD
Dr. Bell is chairman of the Division of General Pediatrics and a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Bell is a nationally recognized expert in the field of hospital-acquired infections and is the chairman of the Infection Control Committee at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Nurse-educator: Mary Lou Manning, RN, PhD, CPNP
Dr. Manning is an adjunct assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Dr. Manning is the co-author of a book written for parents titled Guide to Common Childhood Infections. Her expertise is in the area of healthcare epidemiology.
Physician-scientist: Gary S. Marshall, MD
Dr. Marshall is a member of the Division of Infectious Diseases, a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, and the editor of a book titled The Vaccine Handbook: A Practical Guide for Clinicians. He has published extensively in the areas of immunology and virology.
To learn more about the Vaccine Education Center's educational materials and speakers' programs, please call us at 215-590-9990.
About The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the nation's first pediatric hospital, has been a center of research, development and testing of vaccines such as those that prevent rubella (German measles), rabies, mumps, chickenpox and rotavirus. The Hospital has been the site of many pioneering research initiatives that have benefited children everywhere. It is home to one of the nation's largest pediatric research and pediatric educational programs.
Reviewed by: Paul A. Offit, MD
Date: March 2008
Materials in this section are updated as new information and vaccines become available. Center staff regularly review materials for accuracy.
You should not consider the information in this site to be specific, professional medical advice for your personal health or for your family's personal health. You should not use it to replace any relationship with a physician or other qualified healthcare professional. For medical concerns, including decisions about vaccinations, medications and other treatments, you should always consult your physician or, in serious cases, seek immediate assistance from emergency personnel.
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- Parents PACK
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