The Antigen

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common virus that causes respiratory illness. For many people, RSV can be mild and presents symptoms similar to the common cold. But for certain groups, RSV can be serious, especially for babies 0 through 6 months old. In this bonus episode of The Antigen, Board-certified pediatrician Dr. Mona Amin explains the dangers of RSV in babies. Mom, reality television star, and businesswoman Catherine Guidici Lowe also joins the podcast to talk about her experience with her son contracting the virus.

Protection from serious infant illnesses isn’t enough. Helping prevent the disease from happening altogether is the goal of physician-scientists, like Dr. Bill Gruber. As the Senior Vice President of Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research and Development, Bill explains how maternal vaccinations are developed, the inequities in this process, and the importance of clinical trial participants. This final episode concludes with the real life-changing impact of maternal immunization.

What stands in the way of pregnant people getting vaccination shots? Part two of our maternal immunization mini-series answers this question and more. Host Kari Yacisin talks with Dr. Fauzia Malik, an associate research scientist at the Yale School of Public Health, about the barriers to widespread maternal immunization and the solutions to those challenges. We’re covering everything from the truth about vaccine hesitancy, the role of healthcare providers, and who and where we can look to for guidance as we work to increase uptake.

In the first episode of this three-part series, host Kari Yacisin introduces us to the world of maternal immunization. Vaccinations for pregnant people are not new, but they have historically been left out of the vaccine narrative. With the help of expert Beate Kampmann, pediatric infectious disease specialist, Kari walks us through the importance of maternal immunization, its history, and what it really means to transfer protection from mother to child.

The Antigen returns with a three-part mini-series spotlighting maternal immunization. When it comes to vaccine development, there is a shifting paradigm – help protect pregnant women and their infants through research rather than from research. As maternal immunization is advancing vaccine science and innovation, this series delves into the history of maternal immunization, the potential benefits of boosting infant immunity, and the role of maternal antibodies in helping protect infants. We’ll also explore the challenges of maternal immunization and what the future holds. Listeners will hear from three experts who are making significant contributions to the field.

This season of The Antigen is hosted by Kari Yacisin, MD. She is an infectious disease physician and the U.S. Medical Pipeline Vaccines Lead at Pfizer. Tune in on November 15th to listen to our first episode, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Introducing Science Will Win, a new podcast from Pfizer which takes listeners under the microscope of some the most promising medical innovations.

Hosted by geneticist Dr. Adam Rutherford, the focus of this first miniseries is gene therapy; the next generation of medicines which could bring new possibilities for eligible patients living with rare genetic diseases.

You can find the full series by searching for Science Will Win on your favorite podcast app.

In the last episode of The Antigen’s #COVID19 mini-series, we examine the teamwork & collaboration across communities in the fight against coronavirus. How are companies working together to develop potential vaccines for COVID-19? How has the global health community at large been helpful in responding to the pandemic?

What does finding a vaccine actually look like? Who’s involved? Last season on The Antigen we outlined the many steps it takes for a vaccine to go from discovery to distribution, in this episode we ask if that process can safely accelerate for COVID-19. We’ll also wrap up with the latest headlines on Pfizer's response to the crisis.

In this episode, we talk about what public health experts are focused on now to help minimize the impact of COVID-19. We’ll cover how routine health programs are being impacted and what is being done to plan for recovery. And we’ll discuss what we can do now that's working & what we can improve.

The Antigen is back with a special mini-series focused on COVID-19. In this first episode, we’ll share what we’ve discovered from past global health emergencies. What did we learn from Ebola, MERS, cholera, and how does it compare to the current coronavirus? How do we recover? We’ll also wrap up with the latest headlines on Pfizer's response to the crisis.