Show Notes — ACIP Undone: Proof, Policy, and Panic Over a Hepatitis B Vaccine

This episode unpacks everything you need to know about hepatitis B and the life-saving vaccine that helps prevent chronic liver disease and liver cancer later in life. From the biology of the virus to the science behind the birth dose, we explore how this vaccine works, why it’s given so early, and what’s at stake now that ideology is overriding evidence in U.S. vaccine policy.

We also confront a dangerous shift in public health: the dismantling of expert-driven systems in favor of anti-vaccine rhetoric. The result isn’t just political—it’s personal. And it puts newborns at risk.

In this episode:

• How hepatitis B infects the liver and evades the immune system
• Why newborns are uniquely vulnerable to chronic infection
• The history and science behind the universal birth dose
• What the ACIP overhaul means for public trust and public health
• Vaccine safety, ingredients, and long-term effectiveness
• Debunking the most common lies circulating on social media

All citations are in the blog post for this episode at infectiousdose.com

A leaked FDA memo sparked headlines claiming the COVID vaccine killed children — but the memo included no evidence, no data, and no scientific analysis. In today’s episode, Heather unpacks what the memo actually said, why experts across the field immediately rejected its conclusions, and how vaccine safety is truly evaluated. She explains the real risks of COVID in kids, from MIS-C to long COVID, and why misinformation from inside federal agencies threatens public trust and puts families at risk. Clear, compassionate, and evidence-driven, this episode gives parents the clarity they deserve.

NOTE: All sources are cited in the blog post for this episode at infectiousdose.com

There’s more to your favorite winter rituals than nostalgia.

In this episode, we dive into how centuries of winter traditions—across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas—offered accidental protection against infectious diseases. From citrus in stockings to cloves in mulled wine, from kimchi to candlelight, we trace how ancient practices around food, air, warmth, and cleaning helped communities stay healthier in the harshest season.

Learn how:

• Spices like cinnamon, ginger, and clove helped preserve food and reduce pathogens

• Fires, feasts, and fermentation doubled as primitive infection control

• Cleaning rituals and seasonal isolation slowed the spread of disease

• Modern public health can still draw lessons from these old traditions

We also address how today’s world—sealed homes, global travel, and misinformation—has changed the game, and why clear science is more important than ever.

🎙️ Plus: a discussion of the recent HHS decision under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remove the statement “vaccines do not cause autism” from federal pages—and why this political move contradicts decades of scientific evidence.

See the corresponding blog post at infectiousdose.com for all citations.

In this Outbreak After Dark episode, we revisit Thanksgiving’s origin story through the lens of infectious disease. Heather, Sam, and Kate dive into the epidemics that devastated Indigenous nations before the Pilgrims ever arrived, the microbial mismatches between Old World and New, and the narratives that still distort how we talk about “the First Thanksgiving.” It’s a campfire conversation that blends history, science, myth-busting, and respect for the communities whose histories were altered by plague long before the feast.

All episode citations and recipes are in the blog post at infectiousdose.com

This week’s episode dives into the roots of the global antimicrobial resistance crisis. How did routine cuts, UTIs, and pneumonias become untreatable? What systems helped superbugs evolve — and why is the problem accelerating worldwide?

We explore the science, the policies, the failures, and the future of drug-resistant microbes in A Prescription for Pestilence: The Global Spread of Antimicrobial Resistance.

NOTE: All cited references are linked in the blog post for this episode at infectiousdose.com

Rift Valley fever is back — and it’s hitting harder than it has in years. In this episode, we trace the 2025 outbreak from Mauritania to Senegal, explore how the virus hides between rainy seasons, and reveal what scientists have learned from unexpected hotspots in Tanzania. From mosquitoes and livestock to people and policy, this is Rift Valley fever: when the rains bring life and loss.

Don't miss today's (Nov 12, 2025) free webinar on RVF: The World Health Organization is hosting a free EPI-WIN webinar at 1pm CET, which is 7pm EST called “Rift Valley Fever and Community Protection: Gaps, Needs and Priorities,” and it brings together experts from WHO, Senegal, and Rwanda.

Headed into holiday travel season? This episode of Infectious Dose is your go-to guide for staying healthy on the road — without panic, shame, or disinfecting your entire row like you're filming a CSI episode. We talk practical prevention for planes, airports, road trips, and cruises, including how to avoid RSV, norovirus, and long COVID, what to pack in your health kit, why snacks matter, and how to travel with kids without losing your mind — or your mask. Smart tips, real science, and relatable chaos, all in one episode.

NOTE: PDF Infection Prevention Travel Checklist available for listeners in the blog post at infectiousdose.com

Welcome to Outbreak After Dark, a new monthly ritual within Infectious Dose, where the science stays real but the stories get darker, weirder, and yes—sometimes just plain gross.

In this Halloween premiere, Ocularium, Heather is joined by cohosts Kate and Sam, to share true “medical horror” stories about parasites that call the eye home: Loa loa, Onchocerca volvulus, Acanthamoeba, and Thelazia gulosa.

🍂 Grab your themed snacks and cider, settle by the fire, and prepare to see infectious disease in a whole new light—if you can keep your eyes open. 🧠 Learn more and get the recipes at infectiousdose.com