Vax Talk – Details, episodes & analysis

Join us as we sit down with renowned vaccine expert Dr. Paul Offit to explore the critical role of school vaccine requirements in protecting public health. Dr. Offit shares insights from his decades of experience, discussing how these requirements helped eliminate diseases like measles and rubella from the United States and why their erosion could have serious consequences. The conversation delves into pivotal moments in vaccine policy history, from the early days of state mandates to modern challenges facing public health measures. Dr. Offit recalls his firsthand experience with Philadelphia's devastating 1991 measles outbreak and discusses how the 2014 Disneyland outbreak led to significant policy changes in California. The discussion tackles complex issues around religious and philosophical exemptions, the impact on vulnerable populations, and growing concerns about vaccine hesitancy in the post-COVID era. Whether you're a healthcare provider, parent, educator, or concerned citizen, this episode offers valuable insights into why school vaccine requirements matter and what's at stake as these crucial public health protections face increasing challenges. Join us for an informative and thought-provoking discussion about protecting our communities through proven public health measures. Links from the episode: Alexandra Petri on ceding ground to polio: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/01/03/democrats-trump-suozzi-nyt/ Jimmy Carter's work in Global Health: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/30/health/jimmy-carter-global-health.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

In this episode of VaxTalk, we dive into the latest on mpox, previously known as monkeypox. Dr. Kritika Kuppali from the University of Texas Southwestern joins us to explain what mpox is, how it's related to smallpox, and why it's become a global public health concern. While smallpox was eradicated in 1980, mpox has been on the rise, particularly in Central and West Africa. Dr. Kuppali discusses the reasons for this increase, including decreased immunity from the end of smallpox vaccinations and environmental changes that may affect its spread. We also explore the complex challenges of controlling mpox, from improving testing in regions with fragile healthcare systems to reducing stigma and ensuring supportive care. Dr. Kuppali talks about vaccines, such as JYNNEOS, used to protect high-risk populations and ongoing efforts to make these tools more accessible. Tune in to learn how global health experts and local communities work together to manage this outbreak and what role we all play in supporting these efforts.

Lately, Twitter has become a cesspool of the worst humans spreading the worst misinformation. Except for one bright spot: The Real Truther. We invited The Real Truther to our podcast to discuss his noble pursuit of The Real Truth and to talk with RFK Jr. (or a proxy for RFK Jr.) Links from the episode: Dr. Alfredo Victoria: https://www.elimparcial.com/mexico/Muere-el-Dr.-Alfredo-Victoria-reconocido-epidemiologo-y-excandidato-a-la-alcaldia-de-Puebla-a-sus-42-anos-de-edad-20230626-0050.html RFK's Conspiracy Panel: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/rfk-kennedy-anti-vaccine-panel-conspiracies-hiv-spanish-flu-1234779689/ Dr. Hotez stands up to RFK Jr. and Joe Rogan: https://twitter.com/PeterHotez/status/1671839286348378113?lang=ar

At the pandemic's beginning, small bands of scientists and doctors devised a plan: what if we got young people sick on purpose? What could possibly go wrong? Dr. Jonathan Howard's new book, _We Want Them Infected_, traces this ill-begotten quest and the inevitable pseudoscience that followed. Listen in to our conversation with him! Links from the pod-- We Want Them Infected: https://redhawkpublications.com/We-Want-Them-Infected-p547021769 Lancet HPV study: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)02178-4/fulltext Steve Kirsch wants to give you $5M: https://twitter.com/stkirsch/status/1663293283211317248 This June, Voices for Vaccines wants to raise $10,000 so we can bring you our extra programming, such as this podcast! Donate now! https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/donate/

It feels like anti-vaxxers are bringing public health to court in droves. Does this spell the doom of people who don't like getting measles and polio? To explain why we shouldn't panic and how this litigiousness works, we invite our friend Dorit Reiss, legal scholar and all-around good person. Please note: this episode was recorded before the Missouri religious exemption decision was handed down. Read about that here: https://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/author/dorit-rubinstein-reiss/ Other links from this episode: Tiffany Dover -- https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/misinformation/tiffany-dover-conspiracy-theorists-silence-rcna69401 Elon Musk-- https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-65249139 Politico-- https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/04/09/anti-vax-covid-litigation-00090939

If you thought 2021 was the Year of the Vaccine, 2022 may have taken you by surprise. In this episode, we review the news stories that show the prominence vaccines still play in our everyday lives. For a list of links to the news stories we cover, visit our website: https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/ep-68-vaccines-year-in-review/

Because vaccines work better when we are all vaccinated, vaccine equity isn't about justice alone. It is also crucial to public health. Enter Julissa Soto, MPH. Fresh off her work with other forms of health equity, she has come onto the scene in Colorado to make sure Latino communities can get vaccinated and feel confident doing so through her Vaccine Sundays program. This episode is about so much more than that, though. Julissa is an inspiring woman whose life has been an amazing journey. You do not want to miss this episode! Links from the episode: The Real Truther--https://twitter.com/thereal_truther Vaccine Sundays article--https://publichealthrs.org/a038/ How to host a vaccine clinic---https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xYolt5mR-zuOFGXBnBuLKZ9AcN5TeYCw/view

In many ways, mRNA vaccines are a gamechanger, but not an unexpected one. For this episode, we talked to one of the scientists who has been pursuing mRNA vaccines for years: Melissa Moore, PhD. We discuss how mRNA vaccines have changed so much for us and what the future might hold. Find Dr. Moore's TED talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/melissa_j_moore_how_mrna_medicine_will_change_the_world?language=en What vaccines are required for school entry in your state, and how it isn't influenza or probably HPV: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/coverage/schoolvaxview/requirements/index.html Download the Voices for Vaccines app on your phone today! And go get a flu shot. And if she's still around, call your mom.

A new study seems to connect childhood vaccines to asthma. Or does it? We invited our friend and hero, Dr. Paul Offit, to the show to discuss this study and the other studies from the past investigating vaccines and aluminum adjuvants. Don't miss his take! Link to the study: https://www.statnews.com/2022/09/27/possible-link-aluminum-childhood-vaccines-asthma-risk-caveats/

Remember the old refrain: polio is only a plane ride away? Well, it's hit New York, in the same community that saw a massive measles outbreak in 2019. We invited the excellent Blima Marcus, a nurse practitioner who worked on building vaccine confidence in this community in 2019, to talk to us about this polio outbreak.