One of the perks of being managing editor of SBM is that I’m allowed, on occasion, to use the blog to promote something I’ve done or an appearance that I’ve made. Given the impending meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), freshly stocked with antivaxxers and the antivax-adjacent by Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (see my post tomorrow, where I will discuss it more, even as I realize that you are probably tired of hearing about it), I thought I’d promote my appearance on the podcast It Could Happen Here, which last week ran a five part series, Anti-Vax America. It Could Happen Here is a really good podcast, one that I listen to on a regular basis, if not catching every episode. (But, then, I don’t catch every episode of any podcast that I follow.)
Anti-Vax America basically takes a depressing look at the state of public health under RFK Jr. through the lens of the ongoing measles outbreak that originated in west Texas in January and, worse, where public health is likely going. (Spoiler alert: Nowhere good.) Among those interviewed by journalist Steven Monacelli include a public health official on the ground, Dr. Peter Hotez, myself, historians, an expert in the history of eugenics, and more. The series can be listened to individually as episodes or as one big mega-episode here:
You can also find It Could Happen Here on Apple Podcasts, iHeart, Spotify, and most other sites where podcasts are available. Also, as an FYI, Dr. Hotez appears in episodes 2 and 5, and I appear in episodes 4 and 5. Enjoy!