COVID-19 Episodes

Dec. 10, 2021

82: Vaccine Awareness

Kim Martin, ASTHO’s Director of Immunization, tells us how an event like National Influenza Vaccination Week impacts vaccination awareness; ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser says communities weary of COVID-19 cannot afford to let their guard down; and Dr....
Dec. 9, 2021

81: State of Vaccines

Claire Hannan, Executive Director of the Association of Immunization Managers, says vaccines have benefited from the attention they’ve received during the pandemic; Jessica Baggett, ASTHO’s COVID-19 Response Director, says states and territories...
Dec. 8, 2021

80: New Long Haulers Media Campaign

Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a non-profit organization, debuts a media campaign sharing stories of young people suffering from Long COVID; The White House hosts a Maternal Health Day of Action event; and ASTHO is hiring...
Dec. 6, 2021

78: Vaccine Mandate Prediction

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia says influenza and COVID-19 have a lot in common, as National Influenza Vaccination Week kicks off today; Professor James Hodge Jr., at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University...
Dec. 3, 2021

77: ASTHO Reacts to Winter COVID Strategy

ASTHO leaders react to President Biden’s winter COVID-19 strategy. Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, discuss booster shots,...
Dec. 2, 2021

76: Omicron Variant Now in the U.S.

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia says there are more questions than answers regarding the Omicron variant now in the United States; Dr. Plescia writes in a new ASTHO blog article that the pandemic presents an historic opportunity to...
Dec. 1, 2021

75: World AIDS Day Impact

Dr. Stephen Lee, Executive Director of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, talks about World AIDS Day and the opportunities for public health agencies; Dr. Umair Shah, Washington’s Secretary of Health, explains how...
Nov. 30, 2021

74: The White House Celebrates Public Health

Several ASTHO members attend a White House event in appreciation of public health workers across the states and territories. ASTHO President Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President-Elect Dr. Anne Zink, California’s Dr. Tomas Aragon, and Dr. LaQuandra...
Nov. 29, 2021

73: Alzheimer’s Strategy

Dr. Alexis Travis, Michigan’s Senior Deputy Director at the Department of Health and Human Services, explains her focus on caring for people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias; Janet Hamilton, Executive Director of the Council of State and...
Nov. 22, 2021

72: Public Health Thank You Day

ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser offers his thoughts on today’s Public Health Thank You Day celebration recognizing public health workers across the states and territories. He also previews a special event at the White House scheduled for Noon eastern time;...
Nov. 17, 2021

69: Tribal Communities COVID Response

Lynn Trujillo, Secretary of the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department, explains the challenges and successes of the COVID-19 response in her state’s tribal communities; Mylynn Tufte, North Dakota’s former state health official, prepares to discuss...
Nov. 16, 2021

68: Leading with Gratitude

Mylynn Tufte, North Dakota’s former state health official, explains the power of gratitude in advance of her Insight and Inspiration talk on Thursday, Nov. 18; Rhea Farberman, Director of Strategic Communications and Policy Research at the Trust for...
Nov. 15, 2021

67: Polling the Pandemic

The Rockefeller Foundation releases its 5th survey of Americans’ attitudes about the pandemic response; Dr. Nicole Alexander Scott, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, says every public health agency should update its Healthy People...
Nov. 12, 2021

66: New Health Misinformation Toolkit

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy unveils a new health misinformation toolkit; Dr. Anne Zink, ASTHO President-Elect, gives parents five reasons to vaccinate their kids against COVID-19; Sami Jo Freeman, Deputy Communications Director for the...
Nov. 10, 2021

65: Caring for Veterans

Sen. Kalani Kaneko of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, himself a former health official, shares how military veterans from the freely associated states aligned with the U.S. cannot access their health benefits if they decide to live on the...
Nov. 9, 2021

64: Vaccine Incentives Explained

Kimberly Hood, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Public Health at the Louisiana Department of Health, explains why the state expanded its COVID-19 vaccine incentive program to include payments for kids who get the new pediatric vaccine; Sami Jo...
Nov. 5, 2021

62: Vaccine Hesitant Parents

A panel of ASTHO members met with journalists for a virtual news conference Thursday to discuss the new pediatric COVID-19 vaccine and the challenges involved with convincing hesitant parents to vaccinate their kids against the virus. Dr. Nirav Shah,...
Nov. 4, 2021

61: Pediatric Vaccine Challenges

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, reacts to the decision to recommend approval of a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine; Dr. Nicole Alexander Scott, Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, says Health Equity Zones have helped many...
Nov. 3, 2021

60: Vaccinating Pregnant People

Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana’s State Health Commissioner, discusses the complex task of vaccinating hesitant pregnant people against COVID-19; ASTHO releases advice from community groups gathered to explore possible responses to vaccine misinformation...
Nov. 2, 2021

59: Today’s Vaccine Vote

Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Director of the Washington D.C. Department of Health, addresses the importance of answering parents’ questions about COVID-19 vaccines for children; Dr. Lee Norman, Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment,...
Nov. 1, 2021

58: School Mask Lawsuits

Maggie Davis, ASTHO’s Director of State Health Policy, examines the flurry of lawsuits and court orders resulting from legislative and executive prohibitions of school masking policies; Lindsey Myers, ASTHO’s Vice President of Social and...
Oct. 29, 2021

57: COVID Tricks on Halloween

Dr. Brian Castrucci, President and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, explains how public health departments can use upcoming data from the PH Wins workforce study fielded by his organization and ASTHO; Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, Director of the Ohio...
Oct. 27, 2021

55: Pediatric COVID Vaccine Sites

James Blumenstock, ASTHO’s Senior Vice President for Pandemic Response and Recovery, shares how states and territories are preparing for the possibility of a pediatric COVID-19 vaccine; Kathy Dolan, Director of Environmental Health at ASTHO, tells...
Oct. 26, 2021

54: PH Workforce Crisis

Dr. Brian Castrucci, President and CEO of the non-profit de Beaumont Foundation, considers the public health workforce crisis; Dr. Kristina Box, Indiana’s State Health Commissioner, says public health departments can help reduce stigma for pregnant...