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Latest Episodes:

241 - Understanding and Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy—A Two Part Episode Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

In a special two-part episode, we look at the landscape of vaccine hesitancy and what can be done to address it.

In part one, Hopkins vaccine safety expert Dr. Dan Salmon talks with Stephanie Desmon about his new and ongoing research on acceptability of COVID-19 vaccines in minority communities and the importance of listening to understand hesitancy to help people feel more confident.

In part two, Dr. Rupali Limaye, a Hopkins expert in vaccine behavior and decision-making talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about misinformation, why hesitancy around COVID-19 vaccines is different from anti-vax groups like measles, and creative strategies like "prebunking" to address misinformation.

KEYWORDS: health communication; herd immunity; risk perception

240 - Considering Ethics and Equity in Vaccinating a Nation—A Two-Part Episode Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

In a special two-part episode, we look at considerations of ethics and equity in vaccinating a nation.

In part one, Stephanie Desmon talks to Johns Hopkins ethicist Dr. Ruth Faden about the ethics of COVID-19 vaccine distribution and choosing who is and who isn't eligible to be vaccinated in the near term. They also talk about what happens when someone jumps the line to get what is, for now, a scarce commodity.

In part two, Dr. Josh Sharfstein speaks with Dr. Chidinma Ibe, an assistant professor of medicine and the associate director for stakeholder engagement of the Center for Health Equity at Johns Hopkins. They discuss equity in vaccine distribution, or why we have to do more than just count the number of vaccinations.

KEYWORDS: supply chain; vaccine hesitancy; social determinants of health

239 - VACCINE WEEK: Maine's Top Health Officer Dr. Nirav Shah on the Complicated Logistics of Vaccine Distribution Jan 25, 2021

Show notes

Why is it so hard to get vaccines to people who need them? Maine's CDC Director Dr. Nirav Shah talks to Stephanie Desmon about the massive logistical challenges with COVID-19 vaccines: identification of groups, notification to let groups know when it's their turn, and then actually registering, scheduling, and vaccinating people with two doses—all while not being able to anticipate supply more than one week out. They also talk about the troubling realities of vaccine hesitation which may not be as visible right now with demand far outpacing supply.

KEYWORDS: supply chain; policy

238 - New Year, Same Problems? Mental Health Q&A with Laura Murray Jan 22, 2021

Show notes

2021, so far, looks a lot like 2020 in terms of pandemic fatigue. What are signs of burnout and mental exhaustion? What can we do about anger? How can we "just hang on" until the pandemic is under better control? How can we deal with the stigma and shame around getting sick with COVID?

Clinical psychologist Dr. Laura Murray returns to the podcast to talk through these and more questions with Stephanie Desmon.

KEYWORDS: community mental health; stress management

237 - Declarations of Racism as a Public Health Crisis: A Policy Tool for Real-World Solutions and Meaningful Change Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

After the murder of George Floyd, a number of jurisdictions formally declared racism a public health crisis. Dawn Hunter, deputy director of the Southeastern Region for the Network for public health law, is studying these declarations to see how cities, counties, and states actually take action to follow through. Hunter talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about what the declarations actually do and why they are important, and how they put in place real world solutions to combat systemic racism and create healthier communities where everyone can thrive.

KEYWORDS: health equity; racial disparity; social determinants of health

236 - Rethinking the US COVID-19 Response Jan 20, 2021

Show notes

Today's episode is audio from a webcast recorded last week with two members of President Joe Biden's COVID-19 advisory board. In a conversation moderated by Global Health NOW's Brian Simpson, infectious disease and epidemiology expert Dr. Celine Gounder and public health policy expert Loyce Pace talk about the challenges the new administration faces coming into the COVID-19 crisis with millions of cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths, a significant number of Americans who deny the severity of the virus, a faltering vaccine distribution effort, and a new and more contagious variant of the virus—all in the context of a bitterly divided nation.

KEYWORDS: policy; vaccine hesitancy; health communication

235 - COVID-19 and Senior Housing Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

There are more than two million federally-subsidized apartments, units, and homes designated for senior housing. These communities, which tend to serve lower-income racial and ethnic minorities, have unique opportunities and challenges compared to assisted living and nursing care facilities and have been largely overlooked in the COVID-19 response. Juliana Bilowich, director of Housing Operations and Policy at Leading Age, and Shanna Dell, the lead infection control adviser on the outbreak team of the Baltimore City Health Department talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about these challenges and about a new, free course available on Coursera developed to help assisted living facilities to keep their residents safe. https://www.coursera.org/learn/strategies-senior-housing-covid19

KEYWORDS: geriatric health; health equity

234 - State Health Departments and Vaccine Distribution Challenges Jan 15, 2021

Show notes

What accounts for the sluggish rollout of COVID-19 vaccines? Dr. Michael Fraser, executive director of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the challenges states are facing with vaccine distribution, what's working and not working well so far, and why there are reasons for hope in the coming months.

233 - Why There Are Fewer COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Cantabria, Spain Than the Rest of the Country Jan 14, 2021

Show notes

Urban areas in Spain have been hard hit by COVID, but the rural northern state of Cantabria has fared much better thanks to a strong public health approach. Dr. Paloma Navas, former director general for public health in the region, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the area's hard-won successes in lower case counts and deaths.

KEYWORDS: policy; pandemic response; contact tracing

232 - The COVID-19 Variants Explained Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

What caused the variants seen in the SARS-CoV-2 virus in the UK and elsewhere? Why is the UK variant more contagious? Is it more lethal? Will the current vaccines still work against these variants? Is there anything we should be doing differently to protect ourselves? Expert virologist Dr. Andy Pekosz talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how the virus that causes COVID-19 is changing, and what it means for 2021.

KEYWORDS: viral mutation; spike protein; policy

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