The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared the measles eliminated in 2000, but this year, 22 states around the U.S. have reported cases of the measles, including major outbreaks in Washington state and New York. In this time of heightened debate around vaccine resistance and public health, guest host Nina Kravinsky spends the hour with two experts to help separate fact from fiction.
In the first segment, we hear from biopharma consultant Stewart Lyman about public mistrust in the pharmaceutical industry, the role of social media in spreading anti-vaccination ideas, the popularity of adult vaccines, and the importance of the HPV vaccine in preventing six types of cancer.
Next, population health researcher Malia Jones addresses listener concerns about mercury, explains why she uses the term “vaccine hesitancy” rather than “anti-vax,” gives an overview of vaccine waiver usage in California and Wisconsin, and clarifies what would happen next if a measles outbreak came to Wisconsin.
For more about vaccine refusal in Wisconsin, you can read Nina Kravinsky’s article in the Isthmus.
