113: A Cautionary Tale of How Politics Can Impact Public Health with Dr. Michelle Fiscus

“You know, the government has told us that we have to put children in car seats, we have to wear seat belts, we can’t drive when we’re drunk. There are lots of ways in which the government has intervened on behalf of public health, and this is really one of the most important ones that we’ve ever had.” Dr. Michelle (Shelley) Fiscus, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Pediatrics District IV (Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina), Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University, former Medical Director of the Tennessee Department of Health’s Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization Program

In today’s episode, Dr. Jen Barna speaks with Dr. Michelle Fiscus to hear a cautionary tale that is very relevant to the times we are living in today. Dr. Michelle Fiscus is a board-certified pediatrician and public health official who practiced general pediatrics in Franklin, TN for 17 years before serving in public health. She served as the Medical Director of the Tennessee Department of Health’s Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and Immunization Program until she was terminated in July, 2021 for sharing factual information based upon Tennessee law, around the rights of teenagers to make medical choices for themselves, including the right to be vaccinated against COVID-19. On today’s episode, we hear her story and a frank conversation around dealing with rampant misinformation around vaccines. 

 

Dr. Shelley Fiscus is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. She is a past-president of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and now serves on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Pediatrics as District IV Chairperson, representing Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and the Carolinas.

 

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Podcast produced by: Amanda Taran