Osterholm Update

By CIDRAPScience

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Osterholm Update episodes

September 24 The Current State of Measles
Before 2025, we didn't spend too much time talking about measles on this podcast, and that's because there wasn't much of a need to. But ever since the measles outbreak in West Texas began in January 2025, it's become a regular topic of discussion, with the U.S. now at more than 6,000 confirmed cases since the beginning of that year. In this week's episode, hosts Chris Dall and Dr. Michael Osterholm discuss the measles outbreak in Pennsylvania and the rest of the country. They’ll also cover some potential good news on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, answer listener questions about RSV and flu vaccines, and examine an uptick in exposure to rabid animals in the US.

Correction: During the introduction, it is stated that there have been more than 6,000 measles cases since the beginning of last year. As of Friday 9/25, there have been a total of 5,948 cases reported in the US during that time frame.

Content Warning: This week's dedication and closing include discussion of suicide and mental health. For listeners who prefer to avoid these sensitive topics, you can skip over the discussion at 03:38 - 05:44 and 52:08 - 56:38.

Links:
Suicide Prevention Month Resources (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

RFK Jr.’s Faulty Claim that U.S. Measles Response Is ‘Better’ Than ‘Any Other Country’ (Factcheck.org)

Respiratory Virus Season Immunization Recommendations (American Medical Association)
Sign up for our Wildface newsletter! (CIDRAP)

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:
Voices for Vaccines
Families Fighting Flu
Vaccinate Your Family
Shot@Life
Medical Reserve Corps
Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project
MORE EPISODES
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Music:
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
59 min
September 10 Making Sense of Measles Misinformation
This past August, Pennsylvania announced two measles-associated deaths in unvaccinated residents, marking the first measles deaths in the state in thirty-five years. This week, hosts Chris Dall and Dr. Micheal Osterholm discuss the two deaths and the controversy surrounding them. They'll also highlight takeaways from the independent review of COVID, flu, and RSV vaccines by CIDRAP's Vaccine Integrity Project, answer a listener’s question about the timing of COVID and flu shots, provide an update on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and share a special dedication for the 25th anniversary of CIDRAP.

Links:
Making Sense of Lancaster County’s Controversial Coroner (Paul Offit’s Substack Beyond the Noise)
The Measles-Stricken Mother Who Lost Her Newborn Son (The Atlantic)

Op-Ed: ‘Died with, not from’ was a real COVID problem. It’s the wrong framework for measles. (CIDRAP)

Respiratory Virus Season Immunization Recommendations (American Medical Association)

Vaccine Integrity Project's 2026-27 Respiratory Season Evidence Review (CIDRAP)

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:
Voices for Vaccines
Families Fighting Flu
Vaccinate Your Family
Shot@Life
Medical Reserve Corps
Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project
MORE EPISODES
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Music:
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
57 min
August 27 Back to School: What You Need to Know
As summer comes to a close, another chapter begins: back to school. But with that comes a lot of different public health challenges and some muddled guidance for parents. Like how do we deal with measles in schools? When's the best time for my kids to get their flu shot? And do I need to be worried about the blueberries in my child's lunchbox? Hosts Chris Dall and Dr. Micheal Osterholm will try to answer some of these questions in this week’s episode. They’ll also discuss the latest on COVID-19, different foodborne illnesses, the two recent measles deaths, as well as updates on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Plus, a special State Fair themed closing.

Links:
Yes, COVID Is Still a Thing (Unbiased Science)

Back to School (and the List in My Head) (Unbiased Science)

At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests (FDA)

Coronavirus Vaccines R&D Roadmap Initiative (CIDRAP)

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:
Voices for Vaccines
Families Fighting Flu
Vaccinate Your Family
Shot@Life
Medical Reserve Corps
Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project
MORE EPISODES
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Music:
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
57 min
August 13 Answering Your Questions: The Executive Order & More!
It’s been a whirlwind week of public health news from Washington, but hosts Chris Dall and Dr. Michael Osterholm are here to make sense of it all. This week they answer your questions about the White House's executive order on childhood vaccines and other topics. Dr. Osterholm also discusses the approval of Moderna’s new mRNA flu vaccine, as well as updates on cyclospora, Ebola and respiratory viruses. Plus, learn about the “Father of Blood Banks” in this week’s Public Health History segment.
Links:
American Red Cross Declares Second-Ever National Blood Supply Crisis (American Red Cross)

Make an appointment to donate blood or volunteer at your local blood bank (American Red Cross)

CIDRAP Op-Ed: What the vaccine executive order gets wrong, and what it will cost us (CIDRAP News)
Where is the line? Trump’s Executive Order on Childhood Vaccines (Unbiased Science)

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:
Voices for Vaccines
Families Fighting Flu
Vaccinate Your Family
Shot@Life
Medical Reserve Corps
Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project
MORE EPISODES
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Music:
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
1 hr 5 min
July 30 Cyclospora: Then and Now
Cyclospora cases continue to climb in the U.S. but this isn’t the first time we’ve had a multi-state outbreak linked to produce. Back in 1996, there was a major cyclospora outbreak across several states due to imported raspberries. It begs the question, have we learned anything from the past? Or are we repeating history all over again? This week hosts Chris Dall and Dr. Michael Osterholm focus on the cyclosporiasis outbreak, from the latest numbers, to how state and federal officials, as well as the media, have handled it all. They’ll break down the latest epidemiologic data and discuss how this response compares to a multi-state outbreak in 1996. Dr. Osterholm also talks about the latest on Ebola in the DRC, the measles outbreaks across the U.S. and a potential uptick in COVID-19 cases.

Links:
An Outbreak in 1996 of Cyclosporiasis Associated with Imported Raspberries (The New England Journal of Medicine)
When People Got Sick: Cyclospora Outbreak, July 2026 (CDC)
The Cyclospora outbreak was, and still is, a communications failure (CIDRAP)

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:
Voices for Vaccines
Families Fighting Flu
Vaccinate Your Family
Shot@Life
Medical Reserve Corps
Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project
MORE EPISODES
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Music:
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
52 min
July 16 Cyclospora, Ticks, and Mosquitoes: Summertime Threats
We all look forward to summer, that time of year when we can spend more time outside and less time worrying about things like colds and flu. However, the warm summer months can bring their own infectious disease threats, whether it's ticks, mosquitoes, or foodborne parasites. This week, hosts Chris Dall and Dr. Michael Osterholm discuss some of these summertime infectious disease threats, from the growing cyclospora outbreak in the US, to new research that suggests the tickborne allergy alpha-gal syndrome may be under-recognized. They'll also bring you the latest on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and answer a question about the World Cup.

Links:
Workers at an Ebola treatment center in Congo strike over unpaid salaries and bonuses (The Associated Press)
What we truly know about the huge US Cyclospora outbreak—and what we don’t (CIDRAP)
1 in 4 adults in tick-heavy states test positive for alpha-gal antibodies (CIDRAP)

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:
Voices for Vaccines
Families Fighting Flu
Vaccinate Your Family
Shot@Life
Medical Reserve Corps
Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project
MORE EPISODES
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Music:
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
56 min
July 02 Episode 212: Major Roadblocks
As the Ebola crisis continues to escalate in the DRC, we must ask: what will it take to end this outbreak? This is one of many questions Chris Dall and Dr. Michael Osterholm will discuss in this week’s episode. They’ll also cover the flu outbreak at a Texas Air Force base, consider what some newly released CDC emails reveal about the tenure of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, and examine some recent studies on the effectiveness of last season's COVID vaccines. Plus, answering how New World screwworm could affect wildlife and another installment of This Week in Public Health History.

Links:
Ebola Symptoms in Current Outbreak May Be Milder Than in Previous Ones (New York Times)

New CDC Leaders Vow to Boost Skeleton Staff Left After. DOGE Cuts (Bloomberg)
Vaccine RCT spreadsheet aims to show the data, dispel myths about vaccines (CIDRAP)

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:
Voices for Vaccines
Families Fighting Flu
Vaccinate Your Family
Shot@Life
Medical Reserve Corps
Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project
MORE EPISODES
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Music:
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
1 hr 4 min
June 18 Episode 211: A System Held With Duct Tape
This week, Chris Dall and Dr. Michael Osterholm bring the latest on the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, what the World Cup means from a public health perspective, as well as explain what screwworm is and how it could threaten US livestock. They’ll also have updates on the hantavirus outbreak, discuss how the US could likely lose its measles elimination status, and give you an update on COVID and other respiratory infections. Plus, the latest installment of This Week in Public Health History.

Links:
The ‘diseases of crowds’ experts say could be at the World Cup (CIDRAP)
Africa CDC head warns Ebola outbreak could be worst ever (CIDRAP)
20 Years of HPV Vaccine Success (CIDRAP)

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:
Voices for Vaccines
Families Fighting Flu
Vaccinate Your Family
Shot@Life
Medical Reserve Corps
Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project
MORE EPISODES
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Music:
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
54 min
June 04 Episode 210: Ebola: What the Past Tells Us about the Present
This week on the Osterholm Update, Dr. Michael Osterholm and Chris Dall focus on the developing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, discussing the U.S. response, whether transmission can be airborne, and addressing travel concerns to Africa. We’ll also bring you the latest on the hantavirus outbreak, review a long-awaited report from the FDA on pediatric deaths linked to COVID vaccines, and provide updates on measles and other respiratory viruses. Plus, a Public Health History segment highlighting the first EMS service in the U.S.

Links:
‘Among the things he feared most was death’: the doctors and nurses dying on the Ebola frontline (The Guardian)

Inside the Ebola Epicenter, the Virus Rages With Little to Stop It (The New York Times)
Opinion: This Ebola outbreak is a test the world doesn't have to fail (The Washington Post)

People with Ebola pose little risk to public in US, experts say (CIDRAP)
Transmission of Ebola Viruses: What We Know and What We Do Not Know (ASM Journals)
Public Health Alerts: Andes Hantavirus Outbreak on a Cruise Ship, 2026 (NEJM and CIDRAP)

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:
Voices for Vaccines
Families Fighting Flu
Vaccinate Your Family
Shot@Life
Medical Reserve Corps
Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project
MORE EPISODES
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Music:
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
58 min
May 21 Episode 209: Awareness vs. Alarm: Making Sense of the Headlines
In Episode 209, Dr. Michael Osterholm and Chris Dall talk through the response to the hantavirus outbreak and the lingering questions about how the virus spreads. They also discuss a recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the latest findings from The Vaccine Integrity Project’s comprehensive review of peer-reviewed evidence on Tdap vaccination during pregnancy.
Links:
Hantavirus Is Not the Next Covid, But Try Telling That to the News Media (The Daily Show)

Safety and Effectiveness of Tdap Vaccination During Pregnancy Report (Vaccine Integrity Project)

Aluminum in vaccines not linked to autism, other health problems, study finds (CIDRAP)

Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:
Voices for Vaccines
Families Fighting Flu
Vaccinate Your Family
Shot@Life
Medical Reserve Corps
Learn more about the Vaccine Integrity Project
MORE EPISODES
SUPPORT THIS PODCAST

Music:
"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
59 min

About Osterholm Update

From the publisher's feed

A weekly report on the COVID-19 pandemic from infectious disease expert Michael Osterholm, PhD, MPH. Dr. Osterholm is the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) at the University of Minnesota and has spent a career investigating outbreaks. Since 2005, he has emphasized supply chain and other vulnerabilities and a critical need for pandemic preparedness. In this podcast, Dr. Osterholm dissects the latest COVID-19 news, data, and guidance.