Public Health On Call

About this episode: A recent MAHA report from the Department of Health and Human Services stated that a trio of common procedures for children—tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and tympanostomy tube (ear tube) placement—“cause harm without offering benefits.” In this episode: a look at what these surgeries are, the advantages and risks, and what the report said—and didn’t say—about the value of these procedures when properly indicated. Guests: Dr. Emily Boss is the director of pediatric otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department. Show links and related content: The MAHA Report: Make Our Children Health Again—The White House MAHA kids’ health report misinforms about tonsillectomies and ear tubes—STAT (Opinion) Tympanostomy Tubes or Medical Management for Recurrent Acute Otitis Media—The New England Journal of Medicine 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 @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH 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.

About this episode: Would it be a good idea to have tariffs on pharmaceuticals? In this episode: a conversation about the rationales for tariffs as well as potential downsides—like higher drug prices—and what could really help with supply and pricing issues. Guest: Dr. Mariana Socal studies the pharmaceutical market and is an associate professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department. Show links and related content: Tariffs as a Hidden Tax: Price Pass-Through in Multi-Stage Supply Chains—Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Trump’s pharmaceutical tariffs could raise costs for patients, worsen drug shortages—NBC Los Angeles 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 @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH 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.

About this episode: A new report from the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition documents incidents of violence against health care facilities and workers in conflict zones around the world. In this episode: why it’s important to track these trends, how incidents are reported and investigated, and a look at the 2024 report with examples from various conflict zones around the world including Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza. Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University. Guests: Joe Amon is the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department. Show links and related content: Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, 2024 Report Allegations of War Crimes by Leaders of Hamas and Israeli Officials Before the International Criminal Court—Public Health On Call (June 2024) Human Rights and Health Care in the Middle East Crisis—Public Health On Call (December 2023) 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 @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH 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.

About this episode: June is Gun Violence Awareness Month with a focus on safe storage, a key factor in preventing gun-related injuries and deaths. In this episode: a look at how safe storage saves lives, evidence-based tools and tips for lawmakers, gun owners, parents, pediatricians, and more; and how to normalize conversations about safe storage in everyday life. Guests: Dr. Katherine Hoops, is a pediatrician and the director of Clinical Practice at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. Cass Crifasi is the co-executive director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. 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: Gun Violence Awareness Month Campaign—The Center For Gun Violence Solutions Safe & Secure Gun Storage Prevents Injuries (PDF) How To Talk To Other Parents About Guns In The Home (PDF) Safe and Secure Gun Storage Solutions—The Center For Gun Violence Solutions What The Conviction of a Parent of a High School Shooter Could Mean—Public Health On Call (March 2024) 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 @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH 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.

About this episode: Last week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced that the COVID vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children or pregnant women. In this episode: a vaccine policy expert unpacks the announcement — how it differs from past policy changes, and its potential impact on Americans. Note: This episode was recorded on May 28, 2025. Guest: Sarah Despres has over 25 years of experience in public health policy and advocacy and is an expert on immunization policy. She has served on the HHS National Vaccine Advisory Committee from 2012-2017. She has also served on the board of Vaccinate Your Family, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring children and adults have access to 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: U.S. Will No Longer Recommend Covid Shots for Children and Pregnant Women—The New York Times Who Decides Which Vaccines Americans Should Get and When?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (March 2025) Pediatric COVID Vaccines—Public Health On Call (May 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 @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH 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.  

About this episode: Travel can open our eyes to the world and make us better global citizens. But there’s no denying the environmental impacts of travel. Plus, with climate change happening everywhere, it’s becoming more difficult for tourists to predictably see and do some things without factoring in extreme weather. In this episode: how travelers can be more mindful and a look at how a travel company is thinking about the industry’s carbon footprint. Guest: Cameron Hewitt is a travel writer and photographer, and for the last 25 years he’s been a co-writer for Rick Steves’ Europe, one of the biggest names in travel for guidebooks, public television, radio, and tours. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and Facebook. 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: Our Climate Smart Commitment—Rick Steves’ Europe How a traveler’s mindset can grow your understanding—Rick Steves, TEDxSeattle Salon 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 @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH 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.

About this episode: The approval of pediatric COVID vaccines during the height of the pandemic brought reassurance to many parents and pediatricians who were caring for children with severe infections and, sometimes, Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MISC)—a rare but extremely dangerous condition that could impact even the healthiest kids after a COVID infection. But what’s the picture of pediatric COVID vaccination now? In this episode: a discussion about the risks and benefits of pediatric COVID vaccination in 2025. Guest: Dr. Erica Prochaska is a pediatric infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department. Show links and related content: New FDA framework on Covid vaccines leaves pediatricians confused and concerned—STAT News A Pediatric Cardiologist on What We Know—And Don’t Know—About COVID-19-Related Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children—Public Health On Call (June 2020) 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 @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH 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.

About this episode: A look inside the ongoing public health response to measles outbreaks in Lubbock, a city in West Texas. Guest: Katherine Wells is the director of Lubbock Public Health in West Texas. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department. Show links and related content: Lubbock’s public health director fights to stop measles and build public trust—The Texas Tribune Texas Isn’t Declaring a Measles Victory Yet—Bloomberg 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 @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH 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.

About this episode: It’s graduation time at the Bloomberg School! Doctoral candidate Jeff Marr joins the podcast to talk about how an economics major and an early internship at a health care system led to an interest in examining how health care markets and public policy work. Soon-to-be Dr. Marr discusses his dissertation looking at how predictive algorithms lead to decisions about care coverage. Guest: Jeffrey Marr is a healthcare economist and doctoral candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In July 2025, he will join Brown University as an Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department. Show links and related content: Algorithmic Decision-Making in Health Care: Evidence from Post-Acute Care in Medicare Advantage 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 @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH 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.

About this episode: While cigarette use has radically declined in the U.S., many still die from smoking here and around the world. World No Tobacco Day—celebrated annually on May 31 since the 1980s—has helped expose tobacco industry tactics and highlight progress in global tobacco control. This year, a look at how manufacturers are increasing efforts to hook younger users on new products like e-cigs with fun packaging, new flavors, fashionable designs, and gimmicks including video games and social media integration. Guests: Kevin Welding is an economist studying corporate influence on public health at the Institute for Global Tobacco Control. Tuo-Yen Tseng is a health policy researcher who studies social and behavioral change at the Institute for Global Tobacco Control. 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 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: World No Tobacco Day 2025 Evidence and Resources—Institute for Global Tobacco Control 25 Years of Fighting Tobacco—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Quit Smoking—American Lung Association The Inside Story of the 1964 Surgeon General’s Report That Changed How Americans Viewed Smoking—Public Health On Call (July 2024) An Update on Efforts to Prevent Tobacco-Caused Death and Disease—Public Health On Call (February 2024) 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 @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH 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.