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Paul A. Offit, M.D believes the American public is being misinformed by those who believe that Austim is caused by vaccines.

The scientific evidence is conclusive, says Dr. Offit: a multitude of peer-reviewed medical studies have consistently refuted any association between autism and vaccines. Undermining public confidence in vaccines, he warns, may have a real-world effect of reducing childhood immunization rates and thereby exposing more children to preventable infectious diseases.

Dr. Offit is the director of the Vaccine Education Center and chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where he holds the Maurice Hilleman Endowed Chair in Vaccinology. He also is a professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. As a vaccine researcher for nearly 30 years, Dr. Offit has published extensively in the scientific literature and has also written three popular books on vaccine topics. He is a former member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Distributing materials to pediatricians’ offices throughout the U.S., the Vaccine Education Center, founded by Dr. Offit in 2000, has provided hundreds of thousands of parents with scientifically based, lay-friendly information on vaccines.

Dr. Offit has discussed vaccine safety on national news outlets such as 60 Minutes, the New York Times and National Public Radio.

Now Paul Offit has written a new book making his case. It is called Autism’s False Prophets / Bad Science, Risky Medicine and the Search for a Cure. It is published by Columbia University Press.

Hear what Paul Offit has to say about autism and vaccines.

What does MRSA mean? MRSA stands for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or multiple resistance Staphylococcus aureus. You may sometimes see it referred to as Golden Staph or just plain ‘Staph’. Staph is a microorganism commonly found on the body that occasionally causes infection. As a matter of fact, about 3 out of 10 people have MRSA bacteria living on their skin. Methicillin is an antibiotic that has been used to treat Staph. MRSA is a strain of Staph resistant to methicillin and some other antibiotics. It is therefore more difficult to treat than normal Staph.

How can it affect me? Staph normally lives on the surface of the body without causing any problems. It is only a problem when, in open wounds and ulcers, it can cause infection. For example, S. aureus bacteria may sometimes get into the bloodstream and travel to various internal organs and cause infections like chest infection (pneumonia), bone infection (osteomyelitis), blood toxicity (septicemia), heart valve infection (endocarditis), etc. Prevention of infection rests mainly on encouraging good hand washing practices amongst staff, visitors and patients.

Where on the body do Staphs live? Staphs normally live in the nose, arm pit and near the genital area (perineum).

Do all people carry Staph? Most people carry Staph at least occasionally. This has nothing to do with personal hygiene, but seems to be a special property of our skin cells. People who are already in the hospital, who are very ill or have open wounds, sores or ulcers are more prone to carrying Staph and subsequently develop an infection from it. Having said that, MRSA is becoming more prevalent in people outside hospital, but much less common than hospitalized people.

How do I know if I am carrying MRSA? Swabs can be taken from the areas where MRSA is usually found.

How do I know if I am infected with MRSA? Again, a sample of swab as well as blood, urine, body fluid can be collected and sent for the pathology lab to be tested. If Staph is detected, further tests are done to determine which antibiotic will effectively kill the bacteria.

If I am found to be carrying MRSA, is this dangerous and what can I do? Just having MRSA in your nose or on your skin is not dangerous. However, to stop it being transferred into wounds, it might be recommended that you have it treated.

Does the swab detect other infections or organisms? The swabs are processed in such a way that only Staphs, including MRSA, can grow. If you or your doctor think you have an infection, you may need additional tests specifically for this.

Can I get rid or MRSA if I am found to be carrying it? It may not be necessary, but if it is, topical treatments will be prescribed.

Can MRSA be treated if it causes an infection? MRSA is no more infectious than other strains of S. aureus bacteria. While MRSA is a resistant bug, we still have a number of antibiotics which are effective. If antibiotic treatment is required, your doctors will discuss this with you.

Can I get rid of MRSA by going out into the sun? Most organisms including MRSA live in areas of the body not normally exposed to the sun. If they are on the skin they live between tiny skin folds so are hidden from the sun.

Can I have visitors? Yes, you can! Staff will discuss with you and your visitors any special requirements needed. You and your visitors should wash your hands when leaving your room.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Medicine