Vax Matters

Influenza, or the flu, is another severe disease that fortunately has a vaccine to prevent it. But why do people have to receive the flu shot once a year? Dr. Brody LeBlanc, family medicine doctor at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center, lends his expertise to help us learn why.

Across professional sports, many athletes were reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Because of this trend, some may wonder if vaccines really can affect athletic performance. We’ll find out on this episode of Vax Matters, where we’re joined by Dr. Catherine O’Neal. Dr. O’Neal is an associate professor of Clinical Medicine specializing in Infectious Diseases at the LSU Health Internal Medicine Residency in Baton Rouge. 

Chances are you’ve heard about herd immunity, but do you really know what it means? In this episode, we talk to Dr. Eric Griggs, director of Community Medicine at Access Health Louisiana, who will guide us through every aspect of herd immunity.

You don’t have to be a doctor to understand vaccines. Just listen to Vax Matters. This episode continues a discussion on modern vaccines and the way they work with Dr. Paulette Grey Riveria, Capital Region Medical Director and Administrator at the Louisiana Department of Health. 

We receive plenty of vaccines throughout the course of our lives, so we should know how they work. This episode and the next explore the different types and the way they function. Dr. Paulette Grey Riveria, Capital Region Medical Director and Administrator at the Louisiana Department of Health, joins the show to bring her insight to the conversation. 

Do childhood vaccines play a role in causing autism? This episode of Vax Matters answers that question. Dr. Elizabeth Margolis, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, joins the show to help us get to the bottom of it. Today’s episode is brought to you in part by The Autism Society of Greater New Orleans. Listeners can find out more about the work they do for the New Orleans autism community by visiting www.asgno.org.

In this special bonus episode, we invite the Louisiana Department of Health State Health Officer Dr. Joseph Kanter back to the show to talk about the appearance of the monkeypox virus and its present and future impact on public health.

Vax Matters exists to provide clarity when it comes to vaccines. Today’s episode brings in Dr. Sandra Guerguis, who will focus on measles, mumps and rubella, and the vaccine developed to defend against those diseases in children. Dr. Guerguis specializes in pediatric infectious diseases at Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health Infectious Disease center in Baton Rouge.

Today is all about human papillomavirus, or HPV. How did it come about? What were the complications from the virus? How was the vaccine developed? We invited Dr. Joseph Bocchini on Vax Matters to help us answer these questions. Dr. Bocchini currently serves as Director of Willis-Knighton Children’s Health Services and Professor and Vice Chairman of the Tulane University Department of Pediatrics. 

The truths behind immunization are there, we just have to do a little digging. In Vax Matters, we’re exploring all areas of immunization and presenting only the facts. If you’re a parent or grandparent, today’s episode is especially for you, as it highlights the importance of childhood vaccines. Joining us are guests Dr. John Vanchiere and Brittany Tully.

Dr. Vanchiere is the Chief of LSU Health Shreveport Department of Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Section and immediate past president of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. 

Brittany Tully is the Region 4 communications coordinator for the Louisiana Department of Health. She’s also the mom of three, so she’ll be able to provide a parent’s perspective on the importance of childhood vaccines.