COVID-19 vaccines have been effective in saving lives but as winter approaches and yet another coronavirus surge is expected, public health leadersface growing skepticism and apathy toward the vaccines. Worse yet, it seems that the politicized backlash against COVID-19 vaccinations is fostering skepticism about routine vaccinations -- in general -- from childhood immunizations to flu shots.

More than 80 anti-vaccine bills have been introduced in state legislatures. While vaccine skepticism remains a minority position in the U.S., the general consensus on vaccine importance and value is not quite as strong as it once was.

Among the highlights in this episode:

0:57: Listener comment

1:33: While flu activity remains low overall, there are increases in certain parts of the country, specifically the Southeast and South-central regions according to the CDC’s first FluView report of the season

2:39: The FDA announced on October 12 that children as young as five are now eligible to receive the bivalent booster

2:59: October 20 marks World Osteoporosis Day, a reminder it's a good time to advocate for yourself and to be proactive about your health and your family's health, so bring up bone health with your doctor

3:18: Zoe Rothblatt, Associate Director of Community Outreach at GHLF, lists fast facts about osteoporosis

4:22: “Anti-vaccine sentiment is higher now than it was even before the pandemic began. There's some irony in that. We dealt with a global pandemic, and it was vaccines and scientific development generally that are helping get us out of this pandemic and moving into a safer phase. And yet vaccine skepticism is higher than it's ever been,” says Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF

4:45: Why did vaccine skepticism increase and how can we counter this trend?

6:06: 80 anti-vaccine bills have been introduced in state legislatures around the country

7:01: Childhood vaccination rates fell during the 2020-2021 school year, equating to 35,000 kids not being up to date on their shots

7:37: “Fewer Americans said this year… that they'll get their flu shot, compared to the few years before,” says Zoe Rothblatt

9:42: A culture of distrust in government has developed over the last three decades and some social media platforms and media outlets thrive on constantly criticizing information coming from government sources, including from neutral sources like the CDC

10:55: “I saw some data that showed if 80 percent of eligible Americans got [the] latest COVID boosters, as many as 90,000 lives could be saved,” says Zoe Rothblatt

12:30: What our hosts learned from this episode

Contact Our Hosts

Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF: snewmark@ghlf.org

Zoe Rothblatt, Associate Director, Community Outreach at GHLF: zrothblatt@ghlf.org

We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to thehealthadvocates@ghlf.org

Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.

COVID-19 vaccines have been effective in saving lives but as winter approaches and yet another coronavirus surge is expected, public health leaders face growing skepticism and apathy toward the vaccines. Worse yet, it seems that the politicized backlash against COVID-19 vaccinations is fostering skepticism about routine vaccinations -- in general -- from childhood immunizations to flu shots.
More than 80 anti-vaccine bills have been introduced in state legislatures. While vaccine skepticism remains a minority position in the U.S., the general consensus on vaccine importance and value is not quite as strong as it once was.
Among the highlights in this episode:
0:57: Listener comment
1:33: While flu activity remains low overall, there are increases in certain parts of the country, specifically the Southeast and South-central regions according to the CDC’s first FluView report of the season
2:39: The FDA announced on October 12 that children as young as five are now eligible to receive the bivalent booster
2:59: October 20 marks World Osteoporosis Day, a reminder it's a good time to advocate for yourself and to be proactive about your health and your family's health, so bring up bone health with your doctor
3:18: Zoe Rothblatt, Associate Director of Community Outreach at GHLF, lists fast facts about osteoporosis
4:22: “Anti-vaccine sentiment is higher now than it was even before the pandemic began. There's some irony in that. We dealt with a global pandemic, and it was vaccines and scientific development generally that are helping get us out of this pandemic and moving into a safer phase. And yet vaccine skepticism is higher than it's ever been,” says Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF
4:45: Why did vaccine skepticism increase and how can we counter this trend?
6:06: 80 anti-vaccine bills have been introduced in state legislatures around the country
7:01: Childhood vaccination rates fell during the 2020-2021 school year, equating to 35,000 kids not being up to date on their shots
7:37: “Fewer Americans said this year… that they'll get their flu shot, compared to the few years before,” says Zoe Rothblatt
9:42: A culture of distrust in government has developed over the last three decades and some social media platforms and media outlets thrive on constantly criticizing information coming from government sources, including from neutral sources like the CDC
10:55: “I saw some data that showed if 80 percent of eligible Americans got [the] latest COVID boosters, as many as 90,000 lives could be saved,” says Zoe Rothblatt
12:30: What our hosts learned from this episode
Contact Our Hosts
Steven Newmark, Director of Policy at GHLF: <a href="mailto:snewmark@ghlf.org">snewmark@ghlf.org</a>
Zoe Rothblatt, Associate Director, Community Outreach at GHLF: <a href="mailto:zrothblatt@ghlf.org">zrothblatt@ghlf.org</a>
We want to hear what you think. Send your comments in the form of an email, video, or audio clip of yourself to <a href="mailto:thehealthadvocates@ghlf.org">thehealthadvocates@ghlf.org</a>
Catch up on all our episodes on our website or on your favorite podcast channel.

A podcast that breaks down major health news of the week to help you make sense of it all. Our goal is to help you understand what’s happening in the healthcare world to help you make informed decisions to live your best life.

A podcast that breaks down major health news of the week to help you make sense of it all. Our goal is to help you understand what&rsquo;s happening in the healthcare world to help you make informed decisions to live your best life.

The Health Advocates

A podcast that breaks down major health news of the week to help you make sense of it all. Our goal is to help you understand what’s happening in the healthcare world to help you make informed decisions to live your best life. The podcast is part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network and hosted by Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF, and Zoe Rothblatt, Director of Community Outreach at GHLF.

A podcast that breaks down major health news of the week to help you make sense of it all. Our goal is to help you understand what’s happening in the healthcare world to help you make informed decisions to live your best life. The podcast is part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network and hosted by Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF, and Zoe Rothblatt, Director of Community Outreach at GHLF.

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