Episodes

  • 1034 - An Update on Measles and the U.S.'s Elimination Status

    1034 - An Update on Measles and the U.S.'s Elimination Status
    Apr 9 2026
    About this episode: The U.S. is on track to surpass 2025's alarming number of measles cases in 2026. At the same time, the nation's measles elimination status remains under review as health entities use genome sequencing to better understand the state of transmission. In this episode: Infectious disease specialist William Moss explains what's at stake with the verification of the U.S.'s elimination status and why this resurgence of measles is so concerning for immunization writ large. Guest: Dr. William Moss, MPH, is an infectious disease specialist and the executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 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: US Scientists Sequence 1,000 Genomes From Measles, a Disease Long Eliminated With Vaccines—KFF Health News The U.S. will likely lose its measles elimination status. Here's what that means—NPR US builds case to retain measles elimination status as infections mount—Reuters Tracking Measles Cases in the U.S.—International Vaccine Access Center There's a Measles Alert in My Area. Now What?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 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. Contact us: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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    17 mins
  • 1033 - Chemical Contaminants and Fungal Fixes in Wastewater and Agriculture

    1033 - Chemical Contaminants and Fungal Fixes in Wastewater and Agriculture
    Apr 8 2026
    About this episode: Biosolids created by the wastewater treatment process are useful fertilizers in agriculture, but they often contain chemical compounds from the pharmaceutical and personal care products we send down our drains. In this episode: Researcher Carsten Prasse details new findings that suggest that fungi could reduce our risk of exposure to these compounds in our drinking water and food. Guest: Carsten Prasse, PhD, MSc, is an associate professor of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he studies organic contaminants in the urban water cycle and their impact on environmental and human health. 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: White-Rot Fungi Show Promise for Reducing Pharmaceutical Residues in Biosolids—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Magic Mushrooms? White-Rot Fungal Degradation of Psychoactive Pharmaceuticals in Biosolids—ACS Environmental Au 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. Contact us: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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    15 mins
  • 1032 - A Judge Rules on Vaccines

    1032 - A Judge Rules on Vaccines
    Apr 6 2026
    About this episode: A federal judge has halted changes from the Department of Health and Human Services to the childhood immunization schedule and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practice. In this episode: the impact of this decision and what comes next. Guest: Sarah Despres, JD, is a lawyer with over 25 years of experience in public health policy and advocacy and is an expert on immunization policy. She served as counselor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services from 2021-2025. 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: Judge blocks US government from slimming down vaccine recommendations—Associated Press Trust in federal government drops when it comes to childhood vaccines, poll suggests—CIDRAP 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 Changes to the CDC's Vaccine Advisory Committee—Public Health On Call (June 2025) 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. Contact us: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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    18 mins
  • 1031 - What is Prediabetes?

    1031 - What is Prediabetes?
    Apr 2 2026
    About this episode: Prediabetes—a diagnosis characterized by elevated blood sugar levels that can progress to Type 2 diabetes—is embroiled in debate about whether the condition is clinically "real," and, if so, what the threshold for diagnosis should be. In this episode: Epidemiologist and diabetes expert Elizabeth Selvin breaks down the controversy surrounding prediabetes and why she thinks the diagnosis offers an opportunity for intervention. Guest: Elizabeth Selvin, PhD, MPH, is a professor of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she studies diagnosis and screening for diabetes and prediabetes. 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: Prediabetes and What It Means: The Epidemiological Evidence—Annual Review of Public Health Prediabetes Explained: An Under-the-Radar and Common Condition That Doesn't Have to Lead to a Diabetes Diagnosis—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health In Praise of Prevention—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)—National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases 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. Contact us: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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    15 mins
  • 1030 - An Endgame for the Tobacco Industry?

    1030 - An Endgame for the Tobacco Industry?
    Apr 1 2026
    About this episode: Despite sizable decreases in tobacco use in high-income countries, 7 million people around the world die every year from tobacco-related causes. In this episode: an approach that seeks not to manage the $880 billion tobacco industry but to end it. Guest: Eline Goethals is a communications specialist and a fellow at the School of Moral Ambition. 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: Making Tobacco Industry Elimination Inevitable—Action on Smoking and Health What does a tobacco "endgame" mean?—Truth Initiative 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. Contact us: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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    13 mins
  • 1029 - What We Know About CTE

    1029 - What We Know About CTE
    Mar 30 2026
    About this episode: A neurodegenerative disease that can only be diagnosed after death, CTE has made headlines for its prevalence in professional football players. But where does it stand as a public health issue? In this episode: Jesse Mez of the Boston University CTE Center gives an overview of what we know and don't yet know about CTE, as well as tips for parents of children who play contact sports. Guest: Jesse Mez, MD, MS, is the co-director of clinical research at the Boston University CTE Center and associate professor of neurology at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. 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: Clinicopathological Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Players of American Football—JAMA Researchers Are One Step Closer to Diagnosing CTE During Life, Rather Than After Death—The Brink Brain scans of former NFL players show lasting impact of collision sports—The Hub 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. Contact us: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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    15 mins
  • 1028 - Vaccine Policy in the States

    1028 - Vaccine Policy in the States
    Mar 26 2026
    About this episode: As policy has shifted at the federal level, state legislatures are considering a broad range of vaccine-related bills. In this episode: Jennifer Herricks and Northe Saunders of American Families for Vaccines talk about the landscape of vaccine policy, from "medical freedom" bills to those seeking shore up vaccine access. Guests: Jennifer Herricks, PhD, is the founder of Louisiana Families for Vaccines and the advocacy director of American Families for Vaccines. Northe Saunders is a grassroots organizer and the president of American Families for Vaccines. 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: Vaccine Policy Atlas—American Families for Vaccines Assessing the Impact of Changes to Federal Vaccine Recommendations on State Immunization Policies—International Vaccine Access Center States Weigh Their Options Amid Fed Changes to Vaccine Policy—National Conference of State Legislatures 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. Contact us: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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    22 mins
  • 1027 - The EPA's Approval of Two New Pesticides

    1027 - The EPA's Approval of Two New Pesticides
    Mar 25 2026
    About this episode: In late 2025, the EPA approved two pesticides for agricultural use that opponents argue contain PFAS—"forever chemicals" that pose hazards to human health. In this episode: the debate around what constitutes PFAS and the EPA's role in regulating these harmful chemicals. Guest: Rachel Frazin covers energy and environmental policy for The Hill and is the co-author of the book "Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America". 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: E.P.A. Moves to Weaken Limits on a Cancer-Causing Gas—New York Times EPA just approved new 'forever chemical' pesticides for use on food—Washington Post Trump EPA will defend Biden rule forcing polluters to pay for 'forever chemical' cleanup—The Hill Uncovering America's Decades-Long PFAS Contamination—Public Health On Call (June 2025) 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. Contact us: 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. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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    15 mins