Public Health On Call Podcast

@publichealthpod

Evidence and experts to help you understand today's public health news. A podcast from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

60 Folgt980 Follower420 Posts

Website Website Bluesky

science

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir publichealthpod.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 19h

This summer, Merck & Co. settled more than 200 lawsuits against the company's HPV vaccine, Gardasil. @doritreiss.bsky.social details the lawsuits, including why the $50 million settlement is not an admission of fault. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/a-settlement...

Promo graphic for episode 1093 of Public Health On Call titled A Settlement in the Gardasil Lawsuits. Additional text reads: A vaccine law expert details the lawsuits and explains why evidence isn’t stacking up for plaintiffs.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 3d

In the latest move to alter the childhood vaccine schedule, the president has signed an executive order seeking to restructure routine immunizations. @drjoshs.bsky.social explains what's in the executive order, what it means, and what comes next. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/the-executiv...

Promo graphic for episode 1092 of Public Health on Call titled The Executive Order on Childhood Vaccines. Additional text reads: Dr. Josh Sharfstein on what's in the executive order, what it means, and what comes next.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 4d

Could applying a public health approach to education, crime, and the environment help tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges? Author Paul Fleming discusses a generational approach to policymaking and the power of collective action. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/building-a-b...

Promo graphic for episode 1091 of Public Health On Call titled Building a Better World with Prevention Thinking. Additional text reads: Could applying a public health approach to issues like education, crime, and the environment help tackle some of society’s most pressing challenges?

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 5d

"Setting up children for success ... is so critical." @kim.senate.gov joins Public Health On Call to talk about the MediKids Act, how it works, and who will pay for it. 🔗 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/senator-andy...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 5d

Over four million children in the U.S. are uninsured, while many more lack health insurance that adequately meets their care needs. @kim.senate.gov talks about the MediKids Act and why now is the right time for this bill to become law. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/senator-andy...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 6d

"Putting a substance with unknown risks benefits into your body is a risky proposition." Dr. Josh Sharfstein, a former FDA leader, talks about peptides and the recent FDA advisory committee meeting on the products. 🎙️ podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/the-peptide-...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 7d

Discovery of massive fungal blooms in the Cretaceous period suggest significant ecological upheaval before and after the asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. @acasadevall1.bsky.social explains the significance of these findings. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/are-humans-h...

Promo graphic for episode 1089 of Public Health On Call titled Are Humans Hot Enough to Survive a Fungal Apocalypse? Additional text reads: Fungi may have guided human evolution. How could it shape our future?

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 10d

The HPV vaccine is a routine vaccination first approved in 2006 that fights against HPV infections that can cause six types of cancer, including cervical cancer.

The vaccine is recommended for children 11 to 12 years old. Catch-up vaccinations are recommended for
those 13-26.

Since the vaccine was first approved in 2006, HPV-related cancer rates have dropped. Studies show that HPV vaccines reduce the risk of cervical cancer by 80% in women vaccinated by 16 years old and 66% in those vaccinated after 16. Men and boys who received the HPV vaccine from ages nine to 26 were nearly 50% less likely to develop cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, anus, or penis.

But not everyone benefits from this intervention. In the United States in 2024, only 63% of teens 13-17 had received all recommended doses of the HPV vaccine.

Children in low-income countries still struggle to access vaccines. Globally, only one third of girls 9-14 received at least one dose of the vaccine in a 2025 count.

Learn more on Public Health On Call

Sources

The HPV Vaccine, 20 Years Later—Public Health On Call

20 Years of HPV Vaccine Success—CIDRAP News

Latest Global Immunization Coverage Estimates Illustrate Gaps in Vaccine Access—International Vaccine Access Center

HPV Vaccine Recommendations—CDC

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 10d

HPV is a virus known to cause six different types of cancer, including cervical cancer. Since it's approval, the HPV vaccine has reduced cancer rates in men and women who received the vaccine as children. Learn more 🔗 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/the-hpv-vacc...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 11d

Since the HPV vaccine was approved, women’s risk of developing cervical cancer has dropped along with the risk of other HPV-related cancers. @cidrap.bsky.social reporter Liz Szabo recounts the incredible successes of this intervention. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/the-hpv-vacc...

Promo graphic for episode 1088 of Public Health On Call titled The HPV Vaccine, 20 Years Later. Additional text reads: In the two decades since its approval, the vaccine has significantly lowered the risk of HPV-related cancers.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 12d

Peptides are exploding in popularity online, and they're inching closer to FDA approval for compounding. Dr. Josh Sharfstein, former Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA, discusses how peptides should be researched and regulated. 🔗 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/the-peptide-...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 12d

Denials and requirements for prior authorizations are happening more frequently. In half of these cases, patients are subsequently forgoing their prescriptions. Joseph Levy, lead author of a new study, explains why this is the case. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/prescription...

Promo graphic for episode 1087 of Public Health On Call titled Prescription Denials Are on the Rise. Additional text reads: Health economist Joseph Levy on why this is the case and the tradeoffs between controlling drug spending and ensuring access to treatment.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 13d

No, seriously, can we just get rid of all the mosquitoes? Hear more on Public Health On Call 🦟 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/an-early-sta...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 13d

An FDA advisory committee recently recommended that six specific peptides should be permitted to be compounded and legally sold. Dr. Josh Sharfstein explains what's happening, what comes next, and what you should know about these products. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/the-peptide-...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 14d

In June, the FDA convened an advisory committee to discuss whether seven selected peptides should be permitted for legal sale. @drjoshs.bsky.social explains what's happening and what it may mean for consumers and patients. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/the-peptide-...

Promo graphic for episode 1086 of Public Health On Call titled The Peptide Episode. Additional text reads: An FDA advisory committee has recommend loosening restrictions on six peptides. Dr. Josh Sharfstein explains what this may mean for consumers and patients.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 17d

Under a new law, hundreds of families in Tennessee are being forced to make an impossible choice between continuing a child's lifesaving care or being reported to immigration officials. Dr. Morgan McDonald breaks down the story and an ongoing lawsuit 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/immigration-...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 18d

In early July, the CDC issued a statement that the 2026 West Nile virus season is off to an early start. @johnshopkinsmmi.bsky.social professor Douglas Norris dives into the details of the disease and why transmission picks up in the summer months. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 18d

West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne illness in the U.S. Doug Norris, an expert in insect-borne diseases, gives listeners the essential information on West Nile and answers the most important question: can we just get rid of mosquitoes? 🦟 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/an-early-sta...

Promo graphic for episode 1085 of Public Health On Call titled An Early Start to West Nile Virus Season? Additional text reads: The essential information on the U.S.’s most common mosquito-borne illness and a forecast on this year’s disease season.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 19d

The Upper East Side of New York City is embroiled in a Legionnaires' outbreak that has sickened over 90 people and resulted in six deaths. @nataliegexum.bsky.social explains what's happening and how the city is responding on Public Health On Call. 🔗 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/all-about-le...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 19d

Children in TN who need essential medical treatments but have no means to pay for them turn to the Children’s Special Services program. As a result of a new state law, hundreds of families were told to withdraw from the program or risk being reported to immigration officials. 🎧 t.jh.edu/nJwnfZ

Promo graphic for episode 1084 of Public Health On Call titled Immigration Crossfire in Tennessee Threatens Children's Health. Additional text reads: Hundreds of critically ill and disabled children and their families were told to withdraw from the Children’s Special Services program or risk being reported to immigration officials.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 20d

While strategies can be adopted to ensure responsible prescribing, SSRIs are a critical and accessible tool for managing conditions like depression and anxiety.

“SSRIs can make an enormous difference for people and often are lifesaving for people who have severe depression," says Dr. Potash. “That said, ideally, starting medication happens in the context of a really comprehensive evaluation of a person's situation.”

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 20d

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are the most commonly prescribed antidepressant medication used to treat depression, anxiety, OCD, and other mental health conditions.

Roughly 1 in 6 Americans is currently taking an SSRI, and nearly 3/4 of those prescriptions come from a primary care doctor.

SSRIs are just one option in a toolkit of treatments. For many, SSRI use comes down to access; prescriptions for antidepressants and anxiety medications are often easier to acquire than other proven interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

“The benefit of ... CBT is concentrated in young, wealthy, white, college-educated people that have private insurance. ... not everyone can access it,” says Dr. Paul Nestadt.

Claims that SSRIs are overprescribed detract attention from the obstacles facing millions of Americans seeking mental healthcare.

Nestadt and his colleage Dr. Jimmy Potash say that focusing on “overprescribing” undermines the enormous benefits SSRIs can offer. By portraying these medications as inherently dangerous, they worry that mental healthcare will be further stigmatized and serious mental health needs will go untreated.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 20d

SSRIs can be lifesaving and focusing on "overprescribing" of these medications loses sight of that fact. Psychiatrists Paul Nestadt and Jimmy Potash discuss recent debates about SSRI prescribing on Public Health On Call. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/are-ssris-be...

Title: Are SSRIs overprescribed?

Text: Debates ensue about prescribing practices for SSRIs, common depression and anxiety medications. What do the experts say?

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 20d

Cooling towers on large office and apartment buildings are a common culprit behind Legionnaires' outbreaks. @nataliegexum.bsky.social joins the podcast to talk about the Legionnaires' outbreak in NYC. 🔗 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/all-about-le...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 21d

Legionnaires' disease is common in the summer months as water warms, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. @nataliegexum.bsky.social details the symptoms and how cities can monitor and treat water systems to reduce exposure. 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu//all-about-legionnaires-disease

Promo graphic for episode 1083 of Public Health On Call titled All About Legionnaires’ Disease. Additional text reads: Cooling towers rife with Legionella bacteria are fueling an outbreak of a serious respiratory disease in New York City.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 24d

Talking about her book "The Collective Cure: Upstream Solutions for Better Public Health," Monica Wang explains how she uses personal stories to illustrate the scope of and solutions for structural public health issues. Listen to the full conversation 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/how-storytel...

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 24d

But... Isn't It Cheaper to Live in the Suburbs?

City suburbs often have lower housing costs, but energy and transportation costs tend to be higher.

Energy and transportation costs are significantly cheaper in compact and connected areas, thanks to expanded affordable transit options and more energy efficient housing. In fact, the savings are so significant that they actually offset increased housing costs associated with living in higher-density areas.

How Do We Create More Connected Cities?

Hamidi and her team have created an extensive list of evidence-backed policy recommendations, including:

Zoning reforms that allow for more high-density and mixed-use housing near transit centers.

Public facility integration that locates schools, libraries, community centers, and health clinics within mixed-use developments.

Complete streets policies that ensure roads safely accommodate pedestrians, bikers, and public transit in addition to cars.

Learn More on Public Health On Call

Sources:

Curbing Urban Sprawl: Why Better City Planning Could Mean Better Health—Public Health On Call

Who Sprawls the Most?: Mapping Urban Sprawl and Addressing Its Impact on Everyday Life—Center for Smart Transportation and the Bloomberg American Health Initiative

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 24d

What is Sprawl?

The term “sprawl,” or “urban sprawl,” refers to the spread of a city into surrounding areas characterized by low-density housing, single-use zoning, and heavy reliance on cars.

A recent report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health led by Hamidi establishes four key measures of sprawl:

Residential and employment density
Neighborhood mix of homes, jobs, and services
Strength of urban subcenters and downtowns
Connectivity of the street network

What Isn't Sprawl?

Hamidi and her team identify compact, connected communities as the opposite
of sprawl.

These areas feature high-density housing options like rowhomes and apartments, mixed-use zoning that integrates business and residential spaces, and multimodal transit options like walking, biking, and public transportation.

Why Are Compact Cities Healthier?

Hamidi’s team has found that, due to the connectivity and accessibility of non-sprawling communities, living in these areas can yield positive health and safety outcomes, such as:

Lower hospitalization rates for heart attacks

Lower risk of fatal car crashes and pedestrian deaths

Reduced exposure to vector-borne diseases, like Lyme disease

More transportation options that improve mobility

Stronger social networks

“Overwhelming evidence for years, and our study adding to that, suggests that more compact and connected neighborhoods will make a big difference in our health, wellbeing, ... and our overall quality of life,” Hamidi says.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 24d

Wibba betta flibber? Blarffle shoo zibba nish. (Translation: Want better health? Where you live matters.) 🎧 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/curbing-urba...

A graphic depicting a suburban background, titled: Sprawling Cities Can Impact Our Health—and Our Wallets. Additional text reads: Urban sprawl researcher Shima Hamidi joins Public Health On Call to discuss new research.

Public Health On Call Podcast@publichealthpod· 25d

Maryland's plan for rural health transformation focuses on building the health workforce, connecting people to care, and bringing locally-grown foods to Marylander's plates. Hear more from Elizabeth Kromm about the state's rural health efforts 🔗 podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/168-million-...