Podcast
TRACK THE VAX
Hosted by MedPage Today · EN
It was a global race that led to the largest mass vaccination campaign in American history. What comes after a COVID-19 vaccine? Track the Vax, a weekly podcast from MedPage Today, returns for Season 2 to continue to examine the "New Normal" brought about through the global vaccination effort, continued vaccine development, research and impact from the vaccine rollout. Hosted and produced by medical correspondent Serena Marshall, with Executive producer health journalist Lara Salahi this podcast is devoted to the science and a data driven look at what comes next.
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
S02-5: Should Doctors Peddling COVID Disinformation Lose Their License?
Oct 26, 202100:23:43Tap to summarizeShould doctors who spread disinformation lose their medical licenses? Phony cures and/or resistance to public health messaging is nothing new, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, we've seen it all -- from patients suing their doctors or hospital systems to allow for use of the deworming medication ivermectin to treat COVID-19, to healthcare providers echoing conspiracy theories that the virus is a hoax. The Federation of State Medical Boards put out a statement in early August saying that they support disciplinary action, including suspension or revocation of medical licenses, for those who "generate and spread COVID-19 vaccine misinformation or disinformation." When we inquired if any such actions had been taken and what the numbers looked like, we were told they are currently surveying their member boards to find out just how widespread of an issue this has become. On this week's episode, Eve Bloomgarden, MD, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, who is a member of No License for Disinformation, a non-partisan grassroots coalition taking on disinformation by healthcare providers, joins us to explain how they plan to push for action against those who spread false information.
Transcribe →S02-4: COVID Booster? But I Only Just Got Vaccinated!
Oct 19, 202100:25:19Tap to summarizeThree different vaccines to protect against COVID-19 have been either approved or authorized for emergency use in the U.S. And now the conversation has turned to booster doses for all three. Booster shots are nothing new. After all, a flu "booster" is what is encouraged each and every year. When it comes to COVID-19, however, the back and forth and disconnect between the different government agencies may have left some confusion about who does and doesn't need a booster. After all, COVID vaccine studies show that even after a few months, efficacy is still higher than the original goal for the vaccine. On this week's episode, Ellie Murray, ScD, assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health, joins us to help answer the question, do I really need another shot?
Transcribe →S02-3: Merck's COVID Pill Has Been Called a 'Game Changer' -- Is It?
Oct 12, 202100:18:13Tap to summarizeYou get sick with COVID-19. Instead of quarantining and hoping you don't get worse, or heading into the hospital, you can simply call your doctor, get a prescription, and take it at home. Seems too good to be true. But is it the future of COVID-19 treatment? Merck is hoping their new antiviral will do just that. The company officially submitted an application Monday to the FDA for emergency use authorization, for what would be the first pill to treat COVID-19. This pill, molnupiravir, has been called everything from a "game changer" to "blockbuster." The approval could come in a matter of weeks. But is it all it's been talked up to be? On this week's episode, William Schaffner, MD, a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, helps explain what the new pill means in the fight against COVID-19, and what to watch for as it moves toward emergency use.
Transcribe →S02-2: Requiring the COVID Vaccine: The Legal Battle Ahead
Oct 5, 202100:23:54Tap to summarizeMandating the COVID-19 vaccine has been called presidential overreach, un-American, even unprecedented, despite a long history of requiring vaccines to prevent other illnesses. In August, President Joe Biden mandated employees at all companies with more than 100 employees get vaccinated or undergo routine testing. And now, beginning in early November, federal agencies can enforce that same mandate on federal employees. Mass firings have occurred; but more often than not, employees chose to get the shot over losing their job. On this week's episode, Lawrence Gostin, JD, professor of global health law at Georgetown University, author of the new book "Global Health Security," and director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for National and Global Health Law, joins us to discuss where we may see legal challenges and if those challenges have a sound footing.
Transcribe →S02-1: Could More Mask Mandates Stop the Delta Surge?
Sep 28, 202100:28:05Tap to summarizeWearing a masking to protect yourself and others against the spread of the coronavirus has become something of a political, social, and emotional fireball. Should the vaccinated continue to wear them? Is a mask really necessary outdoors? So many questions remain, but the answers are hard to come by as health agencies, local officials, and even health experts seem to continually change their recommendations. On this week's episode, Monica Gandhi, MD, MPH, associate chief in the Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine at the University of California San Francisco, joins us to help break down what the science shows about masks and their ability to protect us.
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