Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

999 - Head Lice and Bed Bugs Jan 21, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Nothing can make your skin crawl quite like the mention of lice or bed bugs, especially if you're the parent of young children. The good news: though these blood-sucking pests are a nuisance, they pose limited risk to human health. In this episode: Parasitologist Conor McMeniman explains why infestations start, who's susceptible, and how to get these pests out of your hair—literally.

Guest:

Conor McMeniman, PhD, is an associate professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and faculty at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute.

Host:

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

No-Panic Guide to Head Lice Treatment—Johns Hopkins Medicine
Bed Bugs: Get Them Out and Keep Them Out—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Transcript information:

Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

998 - Marion Nestle on the New Dietary Guidelines Jan 20, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Renowned nutritionist Marion Nestle likes the federal recommendation to reduce ultra-processed foods and its emphasis on healthy school meals. But there are other things she finds muddled, contradictory, and incomplete about the nation's new dietary guidelines. In this episode: Nestle talks protein, whole grains, and expanding access to healthy foods.

Guests:

Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH, is emeritus faculty at New York University. She is the author of the Food Politics blog and the book "What To Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters".

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

RealFood.gov—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
The MAHA 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines have arrived: Cheerful, Muddled, Contradictory, Ideological, Retro—Food Politics
Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Guidelines—Public Health On Call (January 2026)
The Misinformation Around Seed Oils—Public Health On Call (March 2025)
Marion Nestle and Food Politics—Public Health On Call (February 2025)
What to Eat Now: The Indispensable Guide to Good Food, How to Find It, and Why It Matters—Food Politics

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

997 - The New Drug Igniting a Withdrawal Crisis Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Medetomidine, a veterinary sedative similar to xylazine, is appearing more frequently in drug supplies in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania—and the withdrawal symptoms are debilitating. In this episode: Addiction medicine specialist Jordan Nahas-Vigon details the risks facing people who use drugs and why it's so difficult to quit.

Guests:

Dr. Jordan Nahas-Vigon is a primary care doctor with Johns Hopkins Medicine who specializes in addiction medicine.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

A Powerful New Drug Is Creating a 'Withdrawal Crisis' in Philadelphia—New York Times
Why the animal sedative behind a Baltimore mass overdose is so hard to quit—The Baltimore Banner
Sedative 'dex' is replacing 'tranq' in illegal drug supply and causing excruciating withdrawal—STAT
The Xylazine Crisis—Public Health On Call (May 2023)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

996 - Canada's Low-Risk Alcohol Guidelines Jan 14, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Citing updated research on the health risks of drinking alcohol, Canada changed consumption guidelines in 2023, making global headlines for its steep drop in what's viewed as "low risk" drinking. In this episode: One of the architects of those guidelines explains how these recommendations were developed, their efficacy as a public health intervention, and what to make of the U.S.'s new guidelines.

Guests:

Tim Stockwell, PhD, is a scientist at the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and emeritus professor of psychology at the University of Victoria.

Host:

Show links and related content:

US has new alcohol guidelines: How much is healthy to drink?—The Hill
Is That Drink Worth It to You?—New York Times
Canada's Guidance on Alcohol and Health—Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction
What's behind Canada's drastic new alcohol guidance—BBC

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

995 - A Record-Breaking Flu Season Jan 12, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Flu is surging in states across the country, breaking a 25-year record for flu-related doctor visits. In this episode: the new strain of influenza A that's driving cases, why getting a flu shot can still protect you, and how antivirals can help if you do get sick.

Guest:

Andrew Pekosz, PhD, is a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with appointments in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Environmental Health and Engineering.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Doctors still recommend flu shot despite sneaky new strain—Politifact
US Flu Cases Show No Signs of Letting Up—Bloomberg
Flu reaches highest level in the US in 25 years—CNN
How Bad Will This Winter Be for Flu, COVID, RSV, and Measles?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

994 - What "The Pitt" Reflects About Real-Life Hospitals Jan 08, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Emmy-award winning drama "The Pitt" returns for a second, thrilling season that follows 15 hours in an emergency department for doctors, nurses, residents, and administrators. In this episode: Dr. Emily Boss discusses what the show gets right about real-life hospitals, from the medicine to the stress to the systemic barriers that can make delivering quality health care difficult. You don't have to watch the show to enjoy this conversation!

Guests:

Dr. Emily Boss, MPH, is a pediatric otolaryngologist and a professor of Health Policy & Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

I'm a Surgeon. This Is the Messy Truth 'The Pitt' Exposes—Newsweek

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

993 - What to Know About Whooping Cough Jan 07, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Pertussis—more commonly known as "whooping cough—is on the rise, with more than 25,000 cases and a number of child deaths recorded in the U.S. in 2025. In this episode: Dr. Erica Prochaska talks about the symptoms of pertussis, how it spreads, when to seek out medical care, how to prevent infection, and the role of vaccines.

Guests:

Dr. Erica Prochaska, MHS, is a pediatric infectious disease doctor at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Host:

Show links and related content:

Epidemiological Update: Pertussis (Whooping Cough) in the Americas Region—Pan American Health Organization
Global whooping cough resurgence after COVID lull may point to need for better vaccines—CIDRAP
More than 25,000 whooping cough cases reported this year as Kentucky records 3rd infant death—ABC News
An Update On Measles, Pertussis, Mpox, and Other Vaccine-Preventable Diseases—Public Health On Call (November 2024)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

992 - HHS Changes Its Pediatric Vaccine Recommendations—Part 2, Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Citing a memorandum from President Trump, health officials in the Trump Administration are ending routine recommendations for vaccinating against meningitis, hepatitis A and B, and rotavirus. Vaccine expert Ruth Karron explains why each of these vaccines is critical for safeguarding health, reducing hospitalizations, and preventing deaths. She and Dr. Josh Sharfstein recorded this episode before the recent vaccine announcement. They also discuss chickenpox and RSV, where recommendations remain in place.

*Please note that this episode was recorded prior to the announcement from HHS changing recommended vaccines for children.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Guests:

Dr. Ruth Karron is a pediatrician and a professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is the director of Johns Hopkins Vaccine Initiative.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content:

HHS Changes Its Pediatric Vaccine Recommendations: What's Different, What Remains, and What It Means for American Health—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
CDC Acts on Presidential Memorandum to Update Childhood Immunization Schedule—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Hepatitis B Vaccination is an Essential Safety Net for Newborns—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Two New RSV Products to Protect Infants—Public Health On Call (November 2023)
Vaccines 101—Public Health On Call (2025)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

991 - HHS Changes Its Pediatric Vaccine Recommendations—Part 1, The Announcement Jan 06, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

HHS leadership started 2026 with an unexpected announcement changing federal childhood vaccine recommendations. In this episode: Dr. Josh Sharfstein joins Lindsay Smith Rogers to talk about the announcement's immediate impact, the rationale behind it, and how it will reshape vaccination in the U.S.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Guests:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Host:

Show links and related content:

HHS Changes Its Pediatric Vaccine Recommendations: What's Different, What Remains, and What It Means for American Health—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
CDC Acts on Presidential Memorandum to Update Childhood Immunization Schedule—U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Kennedy Scales Back the Number of Vaccines Recommended for Children—New York Times
AAP Opposes Federal Health Officials' Unprecedented Move to Remove Universal Childhood Immunization Recommendations—American Academy of Pediatrics
Vaccines 101: The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program—Public Health On Call (February 2025)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

990 - Is There a Fertility Crisis? Jan 05, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

The U.S. marked its lowest birth rate on record in 2024 with American women having—on average—1.6 children. Does this mean that the country has a fertility crisis? In this episode: Associate professor of Population, Family and Reproductive Health Linnea Zimmerman discusses how to measure fertility, assess trends in birth rates in the U.S. and worldwide, and think about the interaction between individual decisions and social needs.

Guests:

Linnea Zimmerman, PhD, MPH, is an associate professor of Population, Family and Reproductive Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Host:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department.

Show links and related content: