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Internal medicine physician Harry Oken discusses his article “mRNA post vaccination syndrome: Is it real?” In this episode, Harry explores the science, uncertainty, and human stories surrounding post-vaccination syndrome (PVS) linked to …
The pandemic changed us in ways that cannot be measured by infection rates alone. Beyond the physical toll, it left lasting scars on our mental health. Fear, uncertainty, and isolation became daily realities. As a health professional and researcher, I wanted to understand how people could begin to heal. During my doctoral work, I studied adults who engaged in different wellness practices after the pandemic. Some found relief in nature: …
In the quiet that follows a routine pediatric check-up, a single word, “vaccines,” can suddenly change the air. Where vaccines were once a simple part of childhood, they have become something parents scrutinize, debate, and sometimes outright resist. The shift is palpable, and it is increasingly showing up in clinic rooms every day.
As a medical student training in New York City, I am constantly struck by a paradox: We live …
Three years after mpox shocked the world, a silent crisis is unfolding in Africa while the rest of the world seems to have moved on.
When mpox (formerly called monkeypox) grabbed global headlines in 2022, it seemed like the next big pandemic threat. Three years later, the story looks very different depending on where you are. In Africa, mpox is still spreading and cases are rising in some countries. In the …
“What is your favorite homemade food?” I ask each patient. Almost always, there is a smile, and the conversation takes off from there. Moms light up describing their special dishes. Patients giggle when I suggest, “Should we have your mom make some for us to share?” Younger kids look at their moms with wide eyes, wondering if it could really happen. Those moments, those faces, are priceless; and they carry …
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Public health advocate Kathleen Muldoon discusses her article “Why congenital CMV should be on every parent and doctor’s radar,” revealing how congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) remains the most common viral cause of disability …
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Physician leader Janet Jokela discusses her article “How federal actions threaten vaccine policy and trust,” highlighting the unprecedented removal of expert members from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and its replacement …
We are now waiting for sentencing in the Sean (P. Diddy) Combs trial. Onlookers reading about the trial could have various thoughts. Thoughts about how power corrupts behavior. Thoughts about how men manipulate women through violence and sex. There could be schadenfreude. There could be prurience. Me, I think about HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
You heard correctly, PrEP. When I hear testimony about multiple partners and escorts, my concern is for …
Once upon a time there was a pandemic, despite what the “deniers” and conspiracy theorists say. This rare disease outbreak shook every corner of the globe, yet brought out the best in people, people who put their lives on the line to care for the sick and dying.
But to this day, I still hear and read about folks who are convinced the COVID-19 pandemic was blown out of proportion and …
As a reproductive endocrinologist, I see countless patients who walk through my doors with quiet stories of loss—sometimes the loss of hope, sometimes the loss of time. But every year, there’s a particular group of gentlemen who share a strikingly similar history.
They come from different countries. Many grew up in regions where the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine was unavailable or inconsistently administered. They had mumps as children, recovered, and thought nothing …
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Infectious disease physician Janet A. Jokela discusses her article, “Measles is back: Why vaccination is more vital than ever.” Recounting her own experience diagnosing a case in the 1990s, Janet contrasts that …
Sepsis continues to pose a serious threat to patients and a significant challenge to hospital systems. Despite advances in awareness and clinical guidelines, delays in diagnosis and treatment remain common and costly. Sepsis is the leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals and costs the U.S. health care industry $62 billion annually.
The ripple effects of sepsis extend far beyond the bedside, impacting everything from …
An excerpt from Pandemics, Poverty, and Politics: Decoding the Social and Political Drivers of Pandemics from Plague to COVID-19.
Many transgender (TG) people live with the constant threat of violence. International research documented a total of over 2,000 murders of TG humans between January 2008 and April 2016.43 (These findings are likely greatly underreported.) Even more widespread is nonlethal violence against TG communities. A national U.S. study indicated that 35 …
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We thought we had moved on from diseases like rubella. But as measles makes a comeback, rubella may not be far behind, and this time, it could harm the next generation before it’s even born. Most people today have never seen a baby born with congenital rubella syndrome, a condition that causes blindness, deafness, heart defects, and developmental delays. That’s not because it stopped happening—it’s because vaccination kept rubella from …
The mouth is connected to the body by blood vessels, lymphatic pathways, and the immune system. Ignoring oral health means risking more than a toothache — it could mean risking your life.
When most people think of oral health, they think of teeth, cavities, brushing, flossing, maybe the occasional root canal. But the truth is, what’s happening in your mouth can have a ripple effect throughout your entire body. This is …
Most people could think of several good reasons to move to Hawai’i and work in health care. It’s a beautiful gem of a place with welcoming people and Aloha Spirit. Why save up for an occasional Hawaiian vacation when you could be enjoying sunny beaches, warm waters, and lush jungles year-round? The problem is that entry into Hawai’i’s health care system has largely become a revolving door of those who …
What would a world without vaccines even look like?
Well, it turns out that we do not have to wonder since accurate historical records allow us to distinctly see and learn for ourselves. This is in keeping with our Secretary of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) recent guidance to Do Your Own Research.
What we actually need, individually and as a nation, is clear and consistent science-based advice when it comes …
My son was born with a congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection.
Unless you specialize in prenatal care, infectious disease, or pediatric audiology, you’ve probably never heard of it.
That’s the first part of the problem.
And, even if you have heard of it, unless you’re a public health advocate or a parent (or both, like me), you probably don’t know enough about it—at least, not in the ways that matter most to patients.
That’s the …
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Patient advocate Tami Burdick discusses her article, “How collaboration saved my life from a rare disease doctors couldn’t diagnose.” Tami shares her personal and arduous journey with granulomatous mastitis (GM), a rare …
As an infectious disease fellow years ago, I was called to the hospital in the middle of the night for a possible case of measles.
I reviewed the clinical basics, as I was not quite sure what to expect, not previously …
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