Vax Matters

Let’s talk about more that matters–like HIV. In this first special episode, we bring in guest Jimmy Gale of the Louisiana Department of Health to help us understand the devastating presence of HIV in the world. 

On this episode, we welcome Dr. MarkAlain Déry of Access Health Louisiana Primary Care to talk about vaccines and their relation to people with compromised immune systems. Dr. Déry specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis-C, and STIs. 

Polio… the disease that affected millions in the 20th century and still has a presence today. This episode brings in Dr. Robert Garry of Tulane University School of Medicine to walk us through the history of polio and where it stands today. 

Ever heard of chickenpox?... So have we. But the notorious illness is more than meets the eye—and still exists today. Dr. James Wayne of Ochsner Health breaks down the disease and its vaccine in this episode of Vax Matters. 

One of the main reasons vaccines are developed is to avoid a disease’s most serious consequences. So how do vaccines match up against diseases as they get more severe? Dr. Susan Hassig of Tulane University brings her expertise to bear on the subject as she joins our show. 

There’s more to health equity than meets the eye. In this episode, the Louisiana Primary Care Association’s Director of Health Policy & Government Affairs Raegan Carter joins us to explain what health equity is, the barriers we currently face to achieving it and why it’s so crucial in society today. 

Viruses have the potential to mutate and change, but why? What causes mutation in viruses? Dr. Jeremy Kamil provides us with the answers in this episode, bringing his wealth of knowledge in virus and disease spread as the Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at LSU Health in Shreveport. 

What’s the relation between human papillomavirus (known as HPV) and cervical cancer? Is there one? LDH Regional Medical Director Dr. Tina Stefanski fills us in on this special Vax Update segment of Vax Matters. 

Many face barriers when it comes to getting a shot. What are they and why? Dr. Lacey Cavanaugh, regional medical director for the Louisiana Department of Health’s Region 5, provides an expert’s perspective in this episode.

We’ve got plenty of vaccines in today’s world, but how does a vaccine become approved for public use? CDC Epidemiologist Dr. Evelyn Twentyman runs us through the details on this heavily discussed and relevant subject.