Osterholm Update

<p dir="ltr">This week on the Osterholm Update, Chris Dall and Dr. Osterholm dissect the latest results of Paxlovid trials and what they tell us about COVID-19. They'll also discuss a CDC study on COVID-19 vaccines that's been blocked by the acting CDC director, examine a survey that reveals the impact of changes to CDC messaging on vaccines and autism, explore the US Defense Secretary's decision to no longer require flu shots for US military members and bring you up to speed on the hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship. Plus, the latest findings of CIDRAP’s analysis of HPV vaccines.<br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/paxlovid-doesn-t-reduce-hospitalization-death-rates-vaccinated-high-risk-covid-outpatients">Paxlovid doesn’t reduce hospitalization, death rates in vaccinated high-risk COVID outpatients, trial shows</a> (CIDRAP)<br><br><a href="https://insidemedicine.substack.com/p/the-end-of-the-paxlovid-era-why-two">The end of the Paxlovid era? Why two new negative trials are great news.</a> (Inside Medicine Substack)&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2026/04/27/is-covid-still-a-thing-expert-analysis-who-needs-vaccine-booster-shot/">​​What happened to Covid?</a> (STAT)<br><br><a href="https://vaxintegrity.cidrap.umn.edu/sites/default/files/FINAL%20REPORT%20HPV%20Vaccine%20Evidence%20Review_0.pdf">Safety and effectiveness of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine</a> (Vaccine Integrity Project)<br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/human-papillomavirus-hpv/hardest-thing-i-ve-ever-gone-through-cervical-cancer-survivors-speak-out">‘The hardest thing I’ve ever gone through’: Cervical cancer survivors speak out about importance of HPV vaccine</a> (CIDRAP)<br><br>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/get-involved/"><strong>Voices for Vaccines</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://familiesfightingflu.org/take-action/"><strong>Families Fighting Flu</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/get-involved/"><strong>Vaccinate Your Family</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://shotatlife.org/take-action/"><strong>Shot@Life</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/MRC/Pages/index.aspx"><strong>Medical Reserve Corps</strong></a></p>
<p>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project"><strong>Vaccine Integrity Project</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/osterholm-update-covid-19"><strong>MORE EPISODES</strong></a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/support-cidrap"><strong>SUPPORT THIS PODCAST</strong></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Music:</strong></p>
<p>"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)<br>Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License</p>

<p dir="ltr">This week Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall talk about Erica Schwartz, the Trump's administration's most recent nomination for the CDC Director, as well as  changes to the charter of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Dr. Osterholm also examines a somewhat misleading Politico poll on public support for vaccines, provides a spring respiratory update and answers a listener's question about long COVID in women. Chris Dall explains a concerning rise in&nbsp;<em>Shigella</em> cases, plus a special space-themed Public Health History segment.<br><br><br><a href="https://www.statnews.com/2026/04/17/vaccine-skepticism-politico-poll-analysis/"><strong>Don’t believe headlines saying that vaccine skepticism is widespread </strong></a>(STAT)</p>
<p>Respiratory Immunization Protocols for <a href="https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261365950">COVID</a> , <a href="https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261365916">Flu</a>, <a href="https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD420261365938">RSV</a> (Vaccine Integrity Project)&nbsp;<br><br>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/get-involved/"><strong>Voices for Vaccines</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://familiesfightingflu.org/take-action/"><strong>Families Fighting Flu</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/get-involved/"><strong>Vaccinate Your Family</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://shotatlife.org/take-action/"><strong>Shot@Life</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/MRC/Pages/index.aspx"><strong>Medical Reserve Corps</strong></a></p>
<p>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project"><strong>Vaccine Integrity Project</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/osterholm-update-covid-19"><strong>MORE EPISODES</strong></a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/support-cidrap"><strong>SUPPORT THIS PODCAST</strong></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Music:</strong></p>
<p>"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)<br>Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License</p>

<p dir="ltr">This week Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall focus on long COVID, tackling some listener questions and providing context about what long COVID is, its potential risks, as well as some of the latest research and reports about it. Dr. Osterholm also discusses the CDC's pause on testing for rabies and pox viruses, plus a respiratory update and the latest on US measles outbreaks. Dr. Osterholm also honors National Health Week in the public health history segment.<br><br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/antidepressant-relieves-fatigue-people-long-covid-study-finds">Antidepressant relieves fatigues in people with long COVID, study finds</a> (CIDRAP)</p>
<p><a href="https://recovercovid.org/">The RECOVER Initiative</a> (NIH)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/measles/end-sight-south-carolina-s-measles-outbreak-chicago-alert-after-potential-airport-exposure">End in sight for South Carolina’s measles outbreak; Chicago on alert after potential airport exposure</a> (CIDRAP)<br>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/get-involved/"><strong>Voices for Vaccines</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://familiesfightingflu.org/take-action/"><strong>Families Fighting Flu</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/get-involved/"><strong>Vaccinate Your Family</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://shotatlife.org/take-action/"><strong>Shot@Life</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/MRC/Pages/index.aspx"><strong>Medical Reserve Corps</strong></a></p>
<p>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project"><strong>Vaccine Integrity Project</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/osterholm-update-covid-19"><strong>MORE EPISODES</strong></a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/support-cidrap"><strong>SUPPORT THIS PODCAST</strong></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Music:</strong></p>
<p>"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)<br>Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License</p>

<p dir="ltr">In "Disease Waits for No One," Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss how a federal judge temporarily blocked Health Secretary RFK Jr's rollback of childhood vaccine&nbsp;recommendations. Has the damage of this administration's assault on US vaccine policy already been done? Or is there a chance&nbsp;it could be undone? They'll also dive into a&nbsp;report calling for sweeping changes to how the government tracks COVID vaccine harms, review a recent meningitis outbreak in the UK, cover the latest on measles and avian flu, and answer a listener's question about the risk of catching COVID in public.&nbsp;Plus, we'll bring you the latest respiratory&nbsp;illness update and another public health history segment honoring Women's History Month.&nbsp;<br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/early-official-covid-death-tolls-may-have-undercounted-19"><strong>Early official COVID death tolls may have undercounted by 19%</strong></a> (CIDRAP)<br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-vaccines/viewpoint-uncertain-victories-mustn-t-distract-us-staying-focused-defending"><strong>Viewpoint: Uncertain victories mustn’t distract us from staying focused on defending health</strong></a> (CIDRAP and The Vaccine Integrity Project)<br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/new-covid-variant-immune-escape-potential-confirmed-us-22-other-countries"><strong>New COVID variant with immune escape potential confirmed in US, 22 other countries </strong></a>(CIDRAP)&nbsp;<br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/california-records-avian-flu-northern-elephant-seals"><strong>California records avian flu in northern elephant seals </strong></a>(CIDRAP)<br><br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qjzGG6ya9M"><em>All My Babies </em></a>(Georgia Department of Health)<br>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/get-involved/"><strong>Voices for Vaccines</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://familiesfightingflu.org/take-action/"><strong>Families Fighting Flu</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/get-involved/"><strong>Vaccinate Your Family</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://shotatlife.org/take-action/"><strong>Shot@Life</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/MRC/Pages/index.aspx"><strong>Medical Reserve Corps</strong></a></p>
<p>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project"><strong>Vaccine Integrity Project</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/osterholm-update-covid-19"><strong>MORE EPISODES</strong></a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/support-cidrap"><strong>SUPPORT THIS PODCAST</strong></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Music:</strong></p>
<p>"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)<br>Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License</p>

<p dir="ltr">In "Holding the Tools" Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall dive into the latest COVID, flu and RSV activity, discuss the surge in norovirus cases, and provide an update on measles outbreaks across the Americas. Dr. Osterholm also shares the latest work from CIDRAP’s Vaccine Integrity Project, and honors a couple of different public health heroes for Women’s History Month.&nbsp;<br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-vaccines/viewpoint-threats-gavi-mean-placing-ideology-over-saving-lives"><strong>Viewpoint: Threats to Gavi mean placing ideology over saving lives</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;</strong>(CIDRAP)&nbsp;<br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobial-stewardship/dentists-still-write-millions-prescriptions-year-antibiotic-life"><strong>Dentists still write millions of prescriptions a year for an antibiotic with life-threatening risks</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;</strong>(CIDRAP)<br>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/get-involved/"><strong>Voices for Vaccines</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://familiesfightingflu.org/take-action/"><strong>Families Fighting Flu</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/get-involved/"><strong>Vaccinate Your Family</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://shotatlife.org/take-action/"><strong>Shot@Life</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/MRC/Pages/index.aspx"><strong>Medical Reserve Corps</strong></a></p>
<p>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project"><strong>Vaccine Integrity Project</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/osterholm-update-covid-19"><strong>MORE EPISODES</strong></a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/support-cidrap"><strong>SUPPORT THIS PODCAST</strong></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Music:</strong></p>
<p>"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)<br>Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License</p>