Vaccines are considered by more than a few scientific experts to be among the most significant developments in modern medicine. Now, it’s hard to know what to believe about vaccinations. The resurgence of measles, effectively eradicated in the U.S. 25 years ago, is one indication that in some pockets of our country, is one indication of doubt in vaccines’ effectiveness. Meanwhile, the federal government is pulling back on its recommendations about who should take the COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Melissa Held, professor of pediatric infectious diseases and senior associate dean of medical student education at the UConn School of Medicine, and Dr. David Banach, associate professor of medicine, infectious diseases physician and UConn Health’s hospital epidemiologist, join us to help separate facts from myths.

(Dr. Melissa Held, Dr. David Banach, Carolyn Pennington, Chris DeFrancesco, May 2025, studio and production support by Ethan Giorgetti and Ryan Bernat)

Dr. Melissa Held

Dr. David Banach

UConn Health’s Infectious Diseases Division

American Academy of Pediatrics

Infectious Diseases Society of America

Connecticut Department of Public Health