Infectious Diseases

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

Guest: Darvin Scott Smith, MD

Vaccines play a crucial role in preventing the flu itself, but there are a lot of lesser-known benefits of flu vaccination as well, including its impact on reducing illness severity, hospitalization rates, and co-infections as well as its importance in managing chronic diseases and enhancing public health outcomes. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to examine the comprehensive advantages of flu vaccination is Dr. Darvin Scott Smith, who’s an infectious disease consultant at San Mateo Medical Center in California.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

Guest: David Hamer, MD

Cases of dengue have more than doubled since 2023, especially in endemic areas like Latin America, the Caribbean, South and Southeast Asia, and the coastal areas of Africa. This increasingly prevalence underscores the importance of knowing how to protect patients traveling abroad to those areas, which is why Dr. Charles Turck speaks with Dr. David Hamer about essential prevention strategies for dengue fever. Dr. Hamer is a Professor of Global Health and Medicine at the Boston University School of Public Health.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

Guest: David Hamer, MD

Cases of chikungunya have risen significantly in recent years, but fortunately, there are several ways we can protect our patients traveling abroad, including with a novel vaccine and other anti-mosquito measures. Joining Dr. Charles Tuck to discuss key preventive strategies for the chikungunya virus is Dr. David Hamer, Professor of Global Health and Medicine at the Boston University School of Public Health.

Guest: Nic Garner, PharmD

Travel vaccines are becoming increasingly common as they play a key role in protecting travelers abroad, but they’re only effective if patients actually receive them. That’s why Dr. Robert Walker speaks with Dr. Nic Garner, who shares best practices for counseling patients on travel vaccines. Dr. Garner is the District Support Pharmacist Leader at CVS Pharmacy in Texas with more than 10 years of community pharmacy management experience.

Guest: Robert Wong, MD

Hepatitis B is one of the leading causes of liver cancer globally, underscoring the importance of screening, diagnosing, and treating patients appropriately. However, there are several considerations to keep in mind when caring for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with hepatitis B co-infection, which is why Dr. Jody Takemoto speaks with Dr. Robert Wong about those factors and essential management strategies. Dr. Wong is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

Guest: Jill Foster, MD

For optimal protection, the best time for patients to receive a flu shot is between September and October, but some patients may be hesitant. In fact, flu vaccination rates have been declining since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic according to the CDC. That’s why Dr. Charles Turck speaks with Dr. Jill Foster about how we can help ensure patients receive timely and annual flu vaccinations. Dr. Foster is the Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP

Guest: Christina Madison, BS, PharmD, BCACP, AAHIVP

The World Health Organization and the Vaccines and Related Biologics Products Advisory Committee recently recommended transitioning from quadrivalent to trivalent flu vaccines that exclude the B/Yamagata lineage. Explore the epidemiological data that led to this decision and counseling strategies that can help patients understand this new recommendation with Dr. Charles Turck and Dr. Christina Madison, founder and CEO of the Public Health Pharmacist.

Guest: Darvin Scott Smith, MD

For optimal protection, the most prevalent flu strains are assessed every year and included in the vaccine. Here to talk about this process and the recent decision to exclude the B/Yamagata lineage from flu vaccines is Dr. Darvin Scott Smith, Infectious Disease and Geographic Medicine Consultant at San Mateo Medical Center in California.

Guest: Ina Park, MD

The United States has seen its largest increase in syphilis cases in the past five years. And with increases prevalent in every region, along with a shortage of medication, additional surveillance strategies and importation resources are necessary. Dive in for a discussion on the challenges and strategies to combat the spread of syphilis with Dr. Ina Park, Professor of Family Community Medicine at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine.

Host: Charles Flexner, MD

Daily oral therapy can have low adherence, which is why the field of long-acting formulations is rapidly advancing. Tune in to hear Dr. Charles Flexner discuss how long-acting regimens can address this problem of adherence and help patients living with HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, and other infectious diseases. Dr. Flexner is a Professor of Medicine of Pharmacology, Molecular Sciences, and International Health at Johns Hopkins University, and he also presented a session on this exact topic at the 2024 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections.