Peter Hotez on Vaccines, Evolution, and Your Health

Vaccine skepticism and efforts to curb vaccine access are in the news almost daily. This despite the fact that for decades, vaccines have saved millions of lives and reduced suffering immeasurably all across the globe. In this episode, host Mat Kaplan speaks with Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and global health expert and an outspoken and well-known proponent of the value and science-backed efficacy of vaccines. Dr. Hotez describes the forces at play in the rise of the anti-vaxx movement and the potential harms that could result. Mat also talks with NCSE’s Wendy Johnson. She discusses a curriculum unit she helped author that focuses on the evolution of pathogens and how that evolution shapes the vaccines to combat them: for instance, why flu shots are recommended every year, but measles vaccinations are not. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices