Emerging Infectious Diseases Episodes

444: STI Interventions, Communication Priorities
June 20, 2023

444: STI Interventions, Communication Priorities

Dr. Jonathan Mermin, Director of the CDC National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, shares how public health can better address the STI epidemic; ASTHO Alum Dr. Ngozi Ezike, Immediate Past Director of the Illinois Department of...
442: Telling Public Health Stories, RSV Vaccine Reaction
June 15, 2023

442: Telling Public Health Stories, RSV Vaccine Reaction

Dr. Edward Ehlinger, former chair of the HHS Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality, says public health needs to look beyond numbers to best serve American Indian and Alaska Native mothers and their babies; Dr. Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge,...
439: Congenital Syphilis Strategies, Medicaid Demonstration Projects
June 12, 2023

439: Congenital Syphilis Strategies, Medicaid Demonstration Projects

JoAnne McClure, ASTHO Senior Analyst for State Health Policy, details a new report written to help public health leaders address rising rates of congenital syphilis; Alex Kearly, ASTHO’s Director of Medicaid and Value-Based Payment, breaks down...
437: Urgent Data Needs, Becoming the Healthiest State
June 8, 2023

437: Urgent Data Needs, Becoming the Healthiest State

Dr. Janelle Palacios, a member of the Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality, says there is an urgent need to improve health outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native mothers and their babies; Julia Greenspan, ASTHO Director of...
434: Mpox Concerns, Newborn Screening Policies
June 5, 2023

434: Mpox Concerns, Newborn Screening Policies

Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Deputy Coordinator of the Mpox National Response for the White House, shares steps public health leaders can take to protect against a potential rise in Mpox cases; Christina Severin, Director of Public Health Law at ASTHO,...
231: Monkeypox Response
Aug. 1, 2022

231: Monkeypox Response

Chris Taylor, Director of Infectious Disease Outbreak Response & Recovery at ASTHO, reflects on the Monkeypox outbreak now in its third month here in the United States; Robert Jennings, Executive Director of the National Public Health Information...
197: Preparing for Monkeypox
June 10, 2022

197: Preparing for Monkeypox

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO’s Chief Medical Officer, discusses the three-step approach to combat Monkeypox in the U.S.; Dr. Jinlene Chan, Maryland’s Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services, outlines her department’s response to Monkeypox; and...
95: ProPublica’s Syphilis Investigation – Part 2
Jan. 11, 2022

95: ProPublica’s Syphilis Investigation – Part 2

Dr. Joseph Kanter, Louisiana’s State Health Officer, explains the evolution of messaging required by the fast-moving Omicron variant during an appearance on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal morning show Monday; ProPublica journalist Caroline Chen...
88: Labs Prepared for Winter
Dec. 20, 2021

88: Labs Prepared for Winter

ASTHO CEO Mike Fraser hopes the new year signals a shift in the pandemic; Kelly Wroblewski, Director of Infectious Diseases for the Association of Public Health Laboratories, says labs are ready for whatever the pandemic brings this winter; ASTHO...
81: State of Vaccines
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...
77: ASTHO Reacts to Winter COVID Strategy
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,...
62: Vaccine Hesitant Parents
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,...
59: Today’s Vaccine Vote
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,...
58: School Mask Lawsuits
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...
52: New York Times PH Survey – Pt 2
Oct. 22, 2021

52: New York Times PH Survey – Pt 2

New York Times journalist Danielle Ivory details the feedback she and her team received from public health professionals responding to the newspaper’s survey about their work during the pandemic; ASTHO Board Member and former Minnesota health...
47: State of the COVID-19 Response
Oct. 15, 2021

47: State of the COVID-19 Response

Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, addresses the state of the campaign against COVID-19; Kim Martin, ASTHO’s Director of Immunizations, says more approved booster formulas would be...
42: New Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Report
Oct. 7, 2021

42: New Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Report

Dr. Nirav Shah, ASTHO President and Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, discusses concerns of workshop participants about the way Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) decisions are communicated; Ericka McGowan, ASTHO’s...
33: Booster Votes Explained
Sept. 24, 2021

33: Booster Votes Explained

ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia explains several votes taken by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Thursday, including one against COVID-19 booster shots for people with occupational or institutional risks; Dr. Ed...
31: Booster Shot Debate
Sept. 22, 2021

31: Booster Shot Debate

Dr. Anne Zink, Alaska’s Chief Medical Officer and ASTHO President-elect, considers the potential for COVID-19 booster shots for some populations; Nick Porter, ASTHO’s Director for Environmental Health, explains how members can benefit from a new...
29: Vaccinating Neighborhoods
Sept. 20, 2021

29: Vaccinating Neighborhoods

Haley Burrous, an analyst on ASTHO’s preparedness team, explains a positive side effect of Mississippi’s in-home vaccination program; Adrienne Williams, a disability specialist working with the Mississippi State Department of Health, talks about...
28: Supporting the Public Health Workforce
Sept. 17, 2021

28: Supporting the Public Health Workforce

Dr. Norman Oliver, Virginia’s Health Commissioner, discusses the approach states and territories should take to funding for the public health workforce; ASTHO Chief Medical Officer Dr. Marcus Plescia reacts to a new CDC/Trust for America’s Health...
27: New COVID-19 Contact Tracing Info
Sept. 16, 2021

27: New COVID-19 Contact Tracing Info

Amelia Poulin, an ASTHO Senior Analyst for Infectious Disease Outbreak Response and Recovery, details an expanded contact tracing training curriculum for case investigators and teams doing COVID-19 work; CDC’s Dr. Lisa Grohskopf and Joynetta Kelly...
26: Congressional Priorities
Sept. 15, 2021

26: Congressional Priorities

Carolyn Mullen, ASTHO’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Relations, outlines Congressional priorities as lawmakers return to Capitol Hill; Dr. Lisa Grohskopf, with the CDC’s Influenza Division, discusses the safety of flu...
24: Reaction to the COVID-19 Strategy
Sept. 13, 2021

24: Reaction to the COVID-19 Strategy

ASTHO CEO Michael Fraser shares member feedback about President Biden’s new COVID-19 strategy; Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi’s State Health Officer, explains the pandemic’s impact on the nation’s hospitals; ASTHO issues a revised COVID-19...