Dr. Zeke Emanuel, an architect of the Affordable Care Act, Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease specialist, and Donald McNeil Jr., a former NY Times health reporter, dive into the implications of RFK Jr.'s controversial nomination for the Department of Health and Human Services. They explore the rise of COVID denialism, the complex anti-vaccine movement, and the impact of political beliefs on public health strategies. The conversation emphasizes the necessity of science-based decision-making amidst a shifting landscape of health policies.

Infectious diseases specialist Dr. Celine Gounder returns to discuss the new COVID variants Eris and BA 2.86, implications for fall, booster shots, and parallels between smallpox eradication and COVID pandemic in her podcast Epidemic. Show also explores factors contributing to COVID-19 spread, waning immunity, challenges of scheduling multiple vaccinations, types of long COVID, and history of smallpox.