Misinformation And Disinformation Episodes

1076: Measles, Misinformation, and Modern Supplements: Public Health on the Front Lines
Feb. 25, 2026

1076: Measles, Misinformation, and Modern Supplements: Public Health on the Front Lines

A major measles outbreak is testing public health systems, community trust, and the power of vaccination. In this episode, Dr. Brannon Traxler, ASTHO member and deputy director of health promotion and services and chief medic...
1058: From AI to Outbreaks: Tools, Trust, and the Future of Public Health
Jan. 27, 2026

1058: From AI to Outbreaks: Tools, Trust, and the Future of Public Health

What does the future of public health look like when cutting-edge technology collides with persistent, preventable disease threats? Senior Vice President of Health at ICF and ASTHO alum John Auerbach joins us to break down how artificial intelligence can be responsibly and realistically introduced …
1040: Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive Discusses the Stakes of ACIP’s Vote on Hepatitis B Vaccine for Newborns
Dec. 10, 2025

1040: Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive Discusses the Stakes of ACIP’s Vote on Hepatitis B Vaccine for Newborns

In this episode, ASTHO member and Michigan Department of Health & Human Services Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian breaks down a major development in national vaccine policy: the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices' (ACIP’s) decision to narrow its guidance on the hepatiti…
1038: Kentucky’s Pertussis Surge: Preventable Tragedies and a Path Forward
Dec. 8, 2025

1038: Kentucky’s Pertussis Surge: Preventable Tragedies and a Path Forward

Kentucky is experiencing its largest spike in whooping cough cases since 2012, an alarming rise that has already claimed the lives of three infants in the past year. In this episode, Dr. Steven Stack, secretary of Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services, joins us to unpack what’s driving …
1020: Vaccine Confidence Strategy, HEP FREE 2030
Oct. 28, 2025

1020: Vaccine Confidence Strategy, HEP FREE 2030

Dr. Novneet Sahu, deputy commissioner for public health at the New Jersey Department of Health, discusses his state’s multi-pronged strategy to improve vaccine access and address vaccine confidence in response to a national rise in pediatric flu deaths; Thaddeus Pham, viral hepatitis prevention coo…
925: KFF Tracking Poll, Youth Vaccines
June 11, 2025

925: KFF Tracking Poll, Youth Vaccines

Liz Hamel, vice president and director of public opinion and survey research at KFF, discusses the latest KFF Tracking Poll on Information and Trust; Tina Tan, state epidemiologist at the New Jersey Department of Health, tells us about the Protect Me With 3+ program...
897: Baston Steps Down, AI for Vaccine Misbelief Correction
May 1, 2025

897: Baston Steps Down, AI for Vaccine Misbelief Correction

Dr. Kaitlan Baston, ASTHO alum and the former New Jersey commissioner of health, reflects on her time in the role as she steps down; Dr. Hang Lu, assistant professor in the department of communication and media at the University of Michigan, discusses an...
869: ASTHO Awarded on World TB Day, Island Priorities
March 24, 2025

869: ASTHO Awarded on World TB Day, Island Priorities

Amelia Poulin, assistant director of emerging infectious disease at ASTHO, gives an update on public health’s battle against tuberculosis on World TB Day; Moses Pretrick, assistant secretary for health for the Federated States of Micronesia, tells...
864: Impressive Vaccination Rates, Changing Immunization Conversation
March 17, 2025

864: Impressive Vaccination Rates, Changing Immunization Conversation

Dr. Jerome Larkin, director of the Rhode Island Department of Health and an ASTHO Member, explains how his state achieved such impressive vaccination rates; Dr. Kimberlee Wyche-Etheridge, ASTHO's senior vice president of Health Initiatives...
862: Kanter at ASTHO Spring Leadership Meeting
March 13, 2025

862: Kanter at ASTHO Spring Leadership Meeting

Dr. Joseph Kanter, ASTHO CEO, brings us an update directly from ASTHO’s 2025 Spring Leadership Forum; and an upcoming webinar focuses on the positive impact Public Health AmeriCorps can provide.
853: Insight Net Improves Analytics in Outbreak Forecasting, Comms Toolkit to Build Trust
Feb. 28, 2025

853: Insight Net Improves Analytics in Outbreak Forecasting, Comms Toolkit to Build Trust

Dr. Dylan George, director of the Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics at the CDC, tells us about Insight Net which aims to improve analytics in outbreak forecasting; Mark Miller, vice president of communications at the de Beaumont Foundation,...
809: Strengthening PH Workforce, APHA Annual Meeting
Dec. 12, 2024

809: Strengthening PH Workforce, APHA Annual Meeting

Lindsey Myers, ASTHO vice president for Public Health Workforce and Infrastructure, discusses the need to bolster the public health workforce to better serve everyone; Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association,...
776: Stack Reflects on ASTHO Presidency, Improving Recruitment and Retention in Public Health
Oct. 23, 2024

776: Stack Reflects on ASTHO Presidency, Improving Recruitment and Retention in Public Health

Dr. Steven Stack, commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health and current ASTHO President, tells us about ASTHO’s upcoming leadership transition; Madison Novosel, North Dakota’s Lead Program coordinator discusses the program’s new...
629: Long COVID Strategies, Updated ACEs Approaches
March 26, 2024

629: Long COVID Strategies, Updated ACEs Approaches

Dr. Marcus Plescia, ASTHO chief medical officer, updates us on the Long COVID situation; Dr. Mark Levine, commissioner of health for the State of Vermont, tells us about ASTHO’s recently updated policy statement on adverse childhood experiences; and...
619: Review Food Safety Policies, New Misinformation Toolkit
March 12, 2024

619: Review Food Safety Policies, New Misinformation Toolkit

Dr. Susan Kansagra, assistant secretary for public health in North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services and an ASTHO member, tells us how the tenacity of one inspector caused an investigation that uncovered lead-contaminated applesauce packets in North Carolina; Dr. Tara Kirk...
599: Why Patients Don’t Want a COVID Vaccine, Policies to Help Young Families
Feb. 12, 2024

599: Why Patients Don’t Want a COVID Vaccine, Policies to Help Young Families

Dr. Danielle Ofri, Clinical Professor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine, tells us some patients still have concerns about COVID-19 vaccines; Jessica Bissett, ASTHO Senior Analyst for Social and Behavioral Health, discusses several...
585: 2024 Legislative Agenda Looks Familiar, Learn Trauma-Responsive Leadership
Jan. 23, 2024

585: 2024 Legislative Agenda Looks Familiar, Learn Trauma-Responsive Leadership

Andy Baker-White, ASTHO Senior Director for State Health Policy, previews the state of the legislative calendar this year; Omar Khalid, ASTHO Director of Workforce Development, says leaders can support their teams by adopting a trauma-responsive...
563: Strategies to Protect Legal Authority, How Indiana Won a 1500% Funding Increase
Dec. 13, 2023

563: Strategies to Protect Legal Authority, How Indiana Won a 1500% Funding Increase

Dr. Manisha Juthani, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, outlines the continued challenges to public health legal authority; Maggie Davis, ASTHO director of State Health Policy, discusses a big win for Indiana as funding for public...
504: Creative Vaccine Events, Congress Faces Two September Deadlines
Sept. 15, 2023

504: Creative Vaccine Events, Congress Faces Two September Deadlines

Dr. Armando De Alba Rosales, Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Student Programs at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, shares creative strategies to boost vaccine uptake among Hispanic communities; a CDC campaign aims to boost...
491: CDC Rural Health, Childhood Mental Health
Aug. 28, 2023

491: CDC Rural Health, Childhood Mental Health

Diane Hall, Director of the CDC Office of Rural Health, outlines the office's priorities; Claire Rudolph, ASTHO Consultant and Assistant Director of the New York State Department of Health’s Child Health Bureau, discusses how childhood experiences...
479: Considering Rural Voices, Misinformation and Disinformation
Aug. 10, 2023

479: Considering Rural Voices, Misinformation and Disinformation

Bethany Alcauter, Director of Research and Public Health Programs at the National Center for Farmworker Health, is focused on local action when it comes to rural health infrastructure; an ASTHO online briefing discussed the coming RSV season; and...
456: PH Communicators Assemble, Website Helps SC Workforce Recover
July 10, 2023

456: PH Communicators Assemble, Website Helps SC Workforce Recover

Robert Jennings, Executive Director at the National Public Health Information Coalition, shares what to expect from this year’s National Conference on Health Communication; Nicholas Davidson, Senior Deputy for Public Health and the Director for...
251: AI Project Tackles Online Misinformation
Aug. 29, 2022

251: AI Project Tackles Online Misinformation

In a special edition of the newscast, Connie Moon Sehat, a Researcher at Large with Hacks and Hackers, discusses an AI project that will help organizations evaluate and respond to social media misinformation and disinformation. The conversation took...
126: Personal Stories Fight Vaccine Misinformation
Feb. 25, 2022

126: Personal Stories Fight Vaccine Misinformation

Molly Howell, Immunization Director at the North Dakota Department of Health, says testimonials from people impacted by COVID-19 have helped make the virus real for people with doubts about the vaccines; Chrissie Juliano, Executive Director of the Big...