Vax Talk

Often, when we scratch beneath the surface of someone who is anti-vaccine, we find conspiracy theories abound. We are also seeing them grow during the time of COVID. Why are anti-vaxxers prone to conspiratorial thinking and what can we do to turn people toward rational thought, instead?

In this episode, Karen and Nathan discuss these very matters with Dr. Stephan Lewandowski, an expert on the matter from the University of Bristol.

Want to be a guest on Vax Talk? Email us at [email protected] and tell us why.

Links from the episode:

How Excited Should We Be About Coronavirus Vaccine Progress?: https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/prevention-cures/508340-how-excited-should-we-be-about-coronavirus

The Conspiracy Singularity Has Arrived: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/v7gz53/the-conspiracy-singularity-has-arrived?

Conspiracy Theory Handbook: https://www.climatechangecommunication.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/ConspiracyTheoryHandbook.pdf

Debunking Handbook: https://skepticalscience.com/docs/Debunking_Handbook.pdf

While the world is consumed with justifiable fears of COVID-19, measles, polio, and even diphtheria are finding pathways to resurgence. What is going on with those routine childhood vaccines? Are they really important right now? Karen and Nathan discuss this critical topic and what you can do to make sure we are preventing multiple health crises at once. Remember: we rely on each other.

Links from the show:

SIDS rates: https://vaxopedia.org/2020/06/22/has-sids-decreased-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/

Influenza vaccine hesitancy: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200615092740.htm

Slowing Coronavirus is Speeding Spread of Other Diseases: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/14/health/coronavirus-vaccines-measles.html

Anti-vaxxers spread fear over future coronavirus vaccine: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/29/anti-vaxxers-fight-against-coronavirus

The world's vaccinologists are racing against time to find a safe, effective vaccine to protect against SARS-CoV-2. We talked to renowned vaccinologist, Dr. Stanley Potkin, about how vaccines are typically developed and what is being done now to make the one vaccine the world desperately wants now.

Links from the episode:

Dr. Boonstra's Routine Immunization During the Pandemic article: https://www.unitypoint.org/blankchildrens/pedsgeekmd-article.aspx?id=40db0f95-f142-4126-83f2-ebae9fedb947&Are+Routine+Vaccines+Important+During+the+COVID-19+Pandemic%253f

Undark magazine article: https://undark.org/2020/04/16/anti-vaccine-covid-19/

Vaccine Development Videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUv9oht3hC6TqM6ubm4UfosW0U_pZq0ak

Be part of a post-COVID19 future where we prevent a public health crisis of widespread vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks by training parents to go into their communities and foster understanding and confidence about vaccines.

DONATE by April 14, and your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar by an anonymous donor. Donate here to be part of a VPD-free future: https://www.mightycause.com/story/5pjxtf

A lot of misinformation and disinformation is circulating concerning COVID-19, and people are unsure how to talk to others about the pandemic.

We invited journalist Tara Haelle to talk to us about how to get the best information to your family and friends.

See Tara's Forbes site for more information: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tarahaelle/#2b7c80f3136d

No vaccine for coronavirus exists (yet?), but learning about this newest emerging disease and watching how the epidemic is handled can teach us a lot about public health strategies that include vaccines. So we invited Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University, on to talk about coronavirus.

Links from the episode:

Interim CDC Flu Vaccine Effectiveness Estimates: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6907a1

Minnesota Rally: https://www.facebook.com/MnCIC/posts/2252712808358489?__xts__[0]=68.ARDJSiX0UMdOtCB-fKSs1OKjBM5Au_fK9LFxysYhFyS9c2PILoiRMX8m3UFGFTMRMZjTN_5WFPmLxWlOT4-t7bHQw7s8aK50ZmcRNf_OGbtNvn3q-KuIvbo2a7DfthiLbMDXuRevjA9xw_1jvxj01iIXTtdgF0EesQt9-IL3uXGdPGId2NS_L83HzjOeAZNUv0LD9d4QMsevgMtgbGLvImsujJPTqz1HB4AdtYSIFRaXKq4bin3o0S4tVNG7hsKKml9QcqAzTIfMJdY5DmY9LGFPo8FGdO4diF4N843TcEuO8ZDFkY1VVTRF3eUjqmvP23kmcZ-NE5yOqhA-6mvinzBh9Mid&__tn__=-R

Iowa Immunizes: https://www.iowapha.org/resources/iowa-immunizes/

What happens when you bring to HPV champions together? A great conversation about how to encourage parents to start and complete the HPV vaccine series in order to prevent six forms of cancer. For this episode, we brought Minnesota champion Dr. Andrea Singh to talk to Karen and Nathan--the Iowa HPV Vaccine is Cancer Prevention Champion.

Links from the episode:

Dr. Plotkin videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUv9oht3hC6TqM6ubm4UfosW0U_pZq0ak

WHO conspiracy debunked: https://respectfulinsolence.com/2020/01/15/who-scientists-did-not-question-the-safety-of-vaccines-at-the-global-vaccine-safety-summit/

Find your HPV Vaccine Champion: https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/champions/2019-winners.html

Minneapolis snow total: 4-7 inches

Iowa snow total: 3-4 inches

Shelle Allen's healthy, happy daughter, Madi, was 12 years old when she asked to be picked up from a birthday party. They never imagined that what would follow would be a months-long battle with influenza. We invited Shelle, who is the President of Families Fighting Flu, on our podcast to tell Madi's story.

Nathan and Karen also discussed rebranding anti-vaxxers and the measles outbreak in Samoa.

Links from the episode:

Families Fighting Flu: https://www.familiesfightingflu.org/

It's Not Too Late to Get a Flu Shot:

https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/seriously-its-not-too-late-to-get-a-flu-shot/

Rebranding: https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/antivaxxers-are-asking-people-to-stop-calling-them-antivaxxers-because-its-highly-offensive/

Newsletter with Samoa information: https://mailchi.mp/voicesforvaccines/this-week-in-vaccine-hesitancy-june-1044797

Thank you for being a Vax Talk listener. Support this podcast by becoming a Voices for Vaccines donor at www.voicesforvaccines.org/support.

More frequently than outright refusing vaccines, parents sometimes ask doctors to give vaccines at a slower rate or with more visits than the CDC recommends. What is behind these requests, and are these "alternative schedules" a good idea? We asked Dr. Paul Offit to explain the science behind vaccine schedules and the dangers of delaying vaccines.

Links from this episode:

John Philip Ryan: https://www.facebook.com/116317855073374/photos/a.794399590598527/2562294067142395/?type=3&theater

The Real Truther Video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=734853060362605

The Karnowski Aluminum Study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876285917304837

The Problem with Dr. Bob's Alternative Schedule: https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/123/1/e164

Vaccine Education Center: https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center