Ep. 42: Can We Get Back to Routine Vaccines?
While the world is consumed with justifiable fears of COVID-19, measles, polio, and even diphtheria are finding pathways to resurgence. What is going on with…
Even in a Pandemic, We Cannot Forget the Importance of Routine Immunization
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’re focused on this one, novel infection. It’s almost as if time has stopped and we’ve forgotten about…
Before They Were Preventable
When I was eleven years old I learned why my maternal grandmother and my mother have always been vehemently pro-vaccine. It was the day I…
Dr. Offit Talks Measles
Thus far in 2019, the United States has experienced nearly 1,000 cases of measles--and we can expect more. But when can we expect the outbreaks…
Can We Get Rid of Measles Once and for All?
My brother, who is six years older than I am, has a scar where his smallpox vaccine was administered when he was a child. I…
Autism’s Professor Harold Hill
It's hard to talk about vaccines or autism without mentioning the sometime gastroenterologist, Andrew Wakefield. Almost everyone has at least a passing familiarity with Wakefield,…
Measles in Minnesota
Yesterday afternoon, the Minnesota Department of Health reported that 60 people (mostly children) in four counties across the state. This measles outbreak is the worst…
What’s up with All These Outbreaks?
A few months ago, I came across an article claiming that we can blame the anti-vaccine movement for the mumps cases popping up in college…
Being the Odd Mom Out in a Low Vax Community
As my child turns two this year, I’m looking back at some of the earlier memories I have of motherhood. During pregnancy, I recall one…
How Effective Are Childhood Vaccines?
Modern vaccines are very effective. But nothing is 100% effective. As people know, children can – sadly – be harmed in a car accident even…