Public Health On Call

Going into 2022, what should the next phase of our COVID strategy look like? Epidemiologist Dr. Emily Gurley talks with Stephanie Desmon about how our current approach to prevent as many infections as possible is complicated, costly, and carries a lot of collateral damage. Instead, Gurley says, a focus on preventing hospitalizations and deaths could rewrite the script on our approach but it would require some difficult conversations and a strategic rethinking of the public health system.

In the last episode of Season 4, Lindsay Smith Rogers talks with co-hosts Dr. Josh Sharfstein and Stephanie Desmon about 2021: how it started, what happened, and how it's going now. They reflect on where we were one year ago, talk about their favorite episodes and public health moments, give some reading suggestions, and discuss what they're most looking forward to in 2022. If you're in need of a chuckle, stick around for a surprise at the end.

A discussion of vaccines and trust. In an interview with Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Rev. Dr. Terris King, pastor of Liberty Grace Church of God in Baltimore and former official at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services talks about his work building bridges between faith communities and health care during the pandemic and beyond. Dr. King also talks about his own journey to getting vaccinated.

Nearly a month into the emergence of omicron, much more is known about how omicron behaves in the real world—thanks to the work of scientists like South Africa's Dr. Glenda Gray, president and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council, the equivalent of the US's National Institutes of Health. Dr. Josh Sharfstein talks with Dr. Gray and with Hopkins epidemiologist Dr. Chris Beyrer about how omicron was discovered, what we know about it now, and what it means for South Africa and the world. They also discuss the importance of protecting people who are immunocompromised—including those with HIV— to help get the pandemic under control.

There's still lots to learn about omicron, but two things are certain: vaccinations will provide some level of protection, and until the majority of the world's population is vaccinated, we may continue to see new variants. Vaccine experts Dr. Anna Durbin and Dr. Bill Moss talk with Stephanie Desmon about viral mutations and what we might expect to see when it comes to SARS-CoV-2, what needs to be done to address ongoing challenges with global vaccine distribution, and the importance of sharing vaccine technology to help curb future pandemics.

Public health is having a moment, both in terms of challenges and opportunities. Dr. Anand Parekh, the chief medical adviser to the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington DC, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about a new report, Public Health Forward, that aims to keep public health top of mind for policymakers and the American public. They talk about why this is a critical moment to think about the future of the public health system, the process behind the bipartisan project, and some major takeaways from the report.

Coming into this holiday season, things seemed a lot brighter than they did a year ago in terms of COVID safety: We have a broader toolbox including masks, ventilation, rapid tests, vaccines, and more. But a new variant of concern and rising levels of transmission remind us that we are still in a pandemic. Epidemiologist Keri Althoff and mental health expert Elizabeth Stuart return to the podcast to talk with Stephanie Desmon about navigating holiday gatherings and travel this year, and how we're slowly moving towards the ultimate goal of living with COVID as an endemic virus.

Addiction prevention often comes in the form of "Just Say No" campaigns. But Dr. Terri Powell knows that to be successful, prevention strategies must be thoughtful and holistic—and focus on connections and support systems that help young people make the best decisions for themselves. Dr. Josh Sharfstein talks with Dr. Powell about Better Together, a prevention program that's based in a public library. Joining them is Diana Fortee-Mason, one of the young leaders of the program.

Dr. Josh Sharfstein checks in again with Hopkins virologist Dr. Andy Pekosz about omicron and what the data are saying about how easily it can spread. So far, there's good news and bad news about this variant—and still a lot we don't know. Still, Dr. Pekosz explains, we can start to make some guesses based on current data and what we know about other viruses like flu.

Prior to COVID-19, the world had the capacity to produce about 5 billion vaccines a year. In the age of COVID, much greater capacity is needed. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, or DFC, is a little-known federal agency making big investments to build the global vaccine pipeline. DFC's chief operating officer, David Marchick, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about these efforts and their impact.