Dr. Gary Grohmann is former Director of Immunobiology and World Health Organization (WHO) Essential Regulatory Laboratories at the Therapeutic Goods Administration.  He currently works as an independent consultant, primarily with WHO on influenza related projects in the Global Influenza Programme and the Essential Medicines Programme. Dr. Grohmann has served on several WHO steering committees. His primary interests are in vaccines, vaccine regulation, medical and veterinary virology, and infectious diseases resulting from contaminated food and water as well as other environmental sources.

In this episode, Dr. Grohmann delves into the origins and spread of Mpox, from its discovery in 1970 to its current status as an endemic virus in several African countries. He highlights the recent global outbreak, attributed to new and dangerous strains of the virus, and details the symptoms and transmission of Mpox. Gary also discusses the importance of distinguishing Mpox from other illnesses and the populations most at risk. Furthermore, he outlines the current vaccination strategies and the availability of vaccines, emphasizing the significance of consulting healthcare providers for vaccination recommendations.

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Host Steph O'Connell is a public health advocate who became a public voice for public awareness about preventable diseases and access to vaccines when her daughter, Lily, narrowly survived meningococcal W strain in 2017. Nine months later her sister, Grace, donated a kidney to help restore Lily’s life. Steph’s advocacy became a collaboration in 2018 with Meningococcal Australia and resulted in Meningococcal vaccination campaigns thanks to the Australian Government Department of Health. Lily’s story quickly resonated with audiences and became a national and international appeal for action. Today Steph continues to advocate through her series Matter of Vax, as she takes a look at topical issues affecting Australian immunisation on video and podcast. The series is available thanks to a collaboration with Immunisation Foundation of Australia and educational grant from GSK Australia. Matter of Vax is produced by Ampel at Myrtle & Pine Studios.