In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt

Latest Episodes:

Immune-Evasive Variants: Explained (with Laurie Garrett) Sep 15, 2021

Show notes

Andy gets back to basics with Pulitzer Prize-winning science journalist Laurie Garrett. They get into how and why viruses mutate, why the variants don't seem to be causing too much trouble for the mRNA vaccines, and how our actions are, as Laurie puts it, "aiding and abetting" COVID. Plus, her big takeaways for how a little empathy at home and in our systemic approach can change the trajectory of the pandemic.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Follow Laurie @Laurie_Garrett on Twitter.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/
Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode:

Learn more about Laurie: https://www.lauriegarrett.com/
Read more on the hunt for a “universal” COVID-19 vaccine: https://fortune.com/2021/08/18/universal-covid-vaccine-delta-variant-gritstone-cepi/
Check out the status of coronavirus vaccinations around the world: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html
Learn more about Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance: https://www.gavi.org/
Find a COVID-19 vaccine site near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How We Win the Battle with COVID (with Ed Yong) Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

Andy calls up The Atlantic's Ed Yong, who won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the pandemic, to talk about how we got where we are now and where we need to go next. They cover what went wrong up to this point, why we can't think of vaccines as a panacea, and what Ed thinks about giving people in the US booster shots before many people around the world get their first dose. Plus, Andy weighs in on President Biden’s vaccinate-or-test requirements.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Follow Ed @edyong209 on Twitter.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/
Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode:

Watch President Biden’s remarks on his plan to stop the Delta variant and boost COVID-19 vaccinations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB1Awuu_DGc
Check out Andy on 60 Minutes Australia: https://youtu.be/_q_jyJrA8H8
Read all of Ed’s writing in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/author/ed-yong/
The Atlantic has compiled all their COVID-19 coverage, including the pieces Ed mentions in today’s episode, here: https://www.theatlantic.com/projects/our-essential-coronavirus-coverage/
Find a COVID-19 vaccine site near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Fauci Answers Your Biggest Questions Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

Andy and Dr. Fauci cover all the latest questions you have, including boosters, variants beyond Delta, breakthrough infections, and vaccinating the globe. Plus, what Dr. Fauci and the Biden administration are doing to prepare for the next pandemic.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/
Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode:

Read the preprint of the Israeli study of booster shots that Dr. Fauci mentions in today’s episode: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.27.21262679v1
Check out the preprint of the Mayo Clinic study comparing the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.08.06.21261707v3
Learn more about what the WHO has to say about “variants of interest” like Lambda and Mu: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/07/mu-covid-variant-who-says-delta-remains-most-concerning.html
Here’s more on the status of oral antiviral trials at both Pfizer and Merck: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/pfizer-starts-dosing-patients-oral-covid-19-drug-trial-2021-09-01/
Find a COVID-19 vaccine site near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Preventable (Revisited) Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

Revisit this episode from June, where Andy starts by answering the one question no one else will about the Delta variant. Then, journalist Jessica Yellin joins Andy to discuss his new book Preventable. They talk about key figures like President Trump, Jared Kushner, and Dr. Deborah Birx, what lessons we need to take with us from the pandemic, and why we should feel hopeful now. Plus, you’ll hear some of the most riveting clips from the book read by actor Bradley Whitford.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Find Jessica Yellin on Twitter and Instagram @JessicaYellin.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/
Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode:

Watch Jessica break down the biggest news stories of the day with News Not Noise: https://newsnotnoise.com/
Find a COVID-19 vaccine site near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ground Zero in COVID: Kids & Florida Sep 01, 2021

Show notes

Andy goes to Florida — ground zero in the battle over how to respond to COVID — to hear directly from kids and what they have to say about the pandemic. Two young people have been working to make adults hear their voices: 21-year-old David Hogg and 14-year-old Alana Nesser, both of Parkland, Florida. In 2018, adults failed to keep David and his classmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School safe when one of the worst school shootings in history occurred. A few short years later, Alana and her friends have again been left vulnerable by adults in the debate over masks. Hear what kids are saying to one another about trauma, and about what we as adults can do to understand and help.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Follow David @davidhogg111 and Alana @AMNesser on Twitter.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/
Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode:

Read Alana’s column in the Orlando Sentinel advocating for masking in schools: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/opinion/guest-commentary/os-op-schools-masks-keep-politics-out-20210811-tl2qby2b3bgybivv2boe26ylji-story.html
Here’s the latest on the battle over mask mandates in Florida schools: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article253866718.html
This article from The New York Times digs into what went wrong with COVID in Florida: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/28/us/florida-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccines-variant.html
Learn more about March For Our Lives: https://marchforourlives.com/
Find a COVID-19 vaccine site near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Understanding COVID’s Kid Surge (with David Kimberlin) Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

With 180,000 reported COVID cases in kids last week alone, and school just getting started, Andy has a vital conversation with pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. David Kimberlin about how the Delta variant has changed everything we thought we knew about children and COVID. They cover what David's seeing on the ground in his hospital in Birmingham, the latest on vaccines for kids under 12, and how to think about the incredibly complicated issue of in-person school. Plus, what parents can do to get school districts to re-think opposition to mask requirements.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/
Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode:

Read David’s opinion piece in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the Delta varint and kids: https://www.ajc.com/opinion/opinion-delta-covid-variant-scares-this-pediatrician/G5T6QAKPCBBMVADBS4SKEVHHJ4/
The American Academy of Pediatrics tracks COVID cases in kids here: https://www.aap.org/en/pages/2019-novel-coronavirus-covid-19-infections/children-and-covid-19-state-level-data-report/
Learn more about what the CDC has to say about MIS-C associated with COVID-19 in children: https://www.cdc.gov/mis/mis-c.html
Check out the study in Science that David mentioned about household COVID-19 risk and in-person schooling: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/372/6546/1092
Listen to NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins discuss the timeline for a vaccine for kids under 12 on NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/back-to-school-live-updates/2021/08/24/1030611406/a-vaccine-for-young-children-is-not-likely-until-the-end-of-year-nih-director-sa
Find a COVID-19 vaccine site near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How We Avoid the Whole Greek Alphabet (with Jeremy Farrar) Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

Listen in as Andy gets a Global Pandemic 101 course from Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust. Farrar gives a clear picture of the effort and urgency of vaccinating the globe, the vital role of the US on the world stage, and the criticality of the next 270 days. Plus, hear their plans to force the issue with world leaders.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Follow Jeremy on Twitter @JeremyFarrar.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/
Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode:

Here’s the latest CDC data on vaccine effectiveness pre- and post-Delta: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7034e4.htm?s_cid=mm7034e4_w
Learn more about the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator: https://www.who.int/initiatives/act-accelerator
Keep up with everything the Wellcome Trust is doing to fight COVID-19 globally: https://wellcome.org/
Check out Jeremy’s Financial Times article about the long-term societal impacts of COVID-19: https://www.ft.com/content/031b42a7-e2b3-43ae-9139-d31a4cb37498
Find a COVID-19 vaccine site near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vaccines: FDA Approval, Kids Under 12, Boosters & Side Effects Explained (with Mark McClellan) Aug 23, 2021

Show notes

Andy and former FDA commissioner Dr. Mark McClellan detail the next big moves in the COVID battle including FDA approvals, what’s happening with clinical trials for kids, boosters, mandates, and what the adverse reporting system really says about vaccine safety. Plus, they discuss the #COVIDSafeZones initiative launched with 30 other public officials.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/
Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode:

Read Kayla Chadwick’s article that Andy mentions in today’s episode: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/i-dont-know-how-to-explain-to-you-that-you-should_b_59519811e4b0f078efd98440
Learn more about the plan for COVID-19 booster shots: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0818-covid-19-booster-shots.html
Here’s the website for the COVID Collaborative: https://www.covidcollaborative.us/
Read what Andy, Mark, and John Bridgeland wrote about #COVIDSafeZones in Yahoo! News: https://news.yahoo.com/former-government-officials-issue-national-142600426.html
PoltiFact debunked a viral TikTok video that claimed VAERS data showed 6,000 deaths from the COVID-19 vaccine: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/aug/09/tiktok-posts/no-truth-vaers-system-shows-6000-died-because-covi/
Find a COVID-19 vaccine site near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Breakthrough Infections — and Boosters — Explained (with Jennifer Nuzzo) Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

So you’ve been vaccinated. And now you’re hearing that you could get infected? Or be contagious? Andy gets to the bottom of this when he calls up one of the clearest explainers he knows, Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo. They discuss why although you may get infected with SARS-CoV-2 eventually, vaccinated people are still unlikely to get COVID-19, and what that means. Plus, Andy breaks down the new recommendation about boosters.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Follow Jennifer @JenniferNuzzo on Twitter.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/
Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode:

Read more about the new recommendation that all Americans get booster shots 8 months after their second dose: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/u-s-announces-plan-offer-boosters-all-americans-starting-late-n1277059?cid=sm_npd_nn_tw_ma
The New York Times has compiled data on breakthrough infections leading to hospitalizations and deaths for 40 states and Washington, D.C. here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/08/10/us/covid-breakthrough-infections-vaccines.html
Find a COVID-19 vaccine site near you: https://www.vaccines.gov/
Order Andy’s book, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250770165

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com/show/inthebubble.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Channeling COVID Outrage (with Diana Berrent) Aug 16, 2021

Show notes

One mom rages against COVID with Andy this week: Survivor Corps founder Diana Berrent. Diana is a fierce advocate for those with remaining COVID symptoms and she has taken a number of amazing actions on behalf of them. This episode will grip you, speak to your heart, steel your spine, and give you some brand new information on some undiscovered questions about how COVID-19 works in our bodies.

Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.

Follow Diana @DianaBerrent and Survivor Corps @Survivor_Corps on Twitter.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

Support the show by checking out our sponsors!

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://lemonadamedia.com/sponsors/
Throughout the pandemic, CVS Health has been there, bringing quality, affordable health care closer to home—so it’s never out of reach for anyone.   Learn more at cvshealth.com.

Check out these resources from today’s episode: