Public Health On Call Series—Vaccines 101

There’s a lot of noise surrounding vaccines.

The Public Health On Call podcast looks at the basics of vaccines and vaccination—including how they work, the science behind safety, the systems built to ensure children are immunized against life-threatening diseases, and more.

Additional Vaccines 101 episodes will be added to this page as they are released.

The Basics of Vaccines and Vaccination

What actually are vaccines and how do they work? In this episode, we get back to basics on vaccines and immunology, including a discussion of why we still don’t have a vaccine for HIV.

Guest: Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, MS, department chair and professor in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology

Episode Date: January 27, 2025

Vaccine Safety Science

Learn what’s unique about vaccine safety compared to the safety of other medical products and how experts tell the difference between an adverse effect that is "causal" and one that is "coincidental."

Guest: Daniel Salmon, PhD ’03, MPH, professor in International Health and director of the Institute for Vaccine Safety

Episode Date: February 5, 2025

The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program

Serious vaccine injuries are rare, but when they do happen in the U.S., people can bring their claims to a special court. Hear how compensation for most vaccine-related injuries works in the U.S., including how often it’s utilized and what’s needed to help the program improve.

Guest: Gary Golkiewicz, litigator and former Chief Special Master for the United States Court of Federal Claims

Episode Date: February 6, 2025

The Vaccines For Children Program

The CDC’s Vaccines For Children Program provides recommended vaccines without charge to about half of the nation’s children. Learn about the program’s origins in a terrifying measles outbreak, how the program works, and what the evidence shows about its success.

Guest: Claire Hannan, executive director of the Association of Immunization Managers

Episode Date: February 7, 2025

Understanding the Vaccines on the Childhood Vaccination Schedule

Learn about the different types of vaccines recommended for children in the U.S., how they work, and the logic behind their timing. He also discusses the concept of herd immunity and whether children can be vaccinated for measles earlier than 12 months of age.

Guest: Bill Moss, MD, MPH, a professor in Epidemiology and executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center.

Episode Date: March 11, 2025

HHS Changes Its Pediatric Vaccine Recommendations—Part 2, Vaccine-Preventable Diseases

Learn about the different types of vaccines recommended for children in the U.S., how they work, and the logic behind their timing. He also discusses the concept of herd immunity and whether children can be vaccinated for measles earlier than 12 months of age.

Guest: Ruth Karron, MD, a pediatrician, professor in International Health, and director of the Johns Hopkins Vaccine Initiative.

Episode Date: January 6, 2026

How FDA Regulates Vaccines

The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for reviewing the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, balancing thorough scientific research and thoughtful regulatory judgment. A former top vaccine regulator and chief scientist at the FDA details the regulatory process and how it’s changing.

Guest: Jesse Goodman, MD, MPH, professor at Georgetown University and director of the Center on Medical Product Access, Safety and Stewardship.

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

The Past, Present, and Future of the Federal Vaccine Schedule

For decades, the recommended immunization schedule has guided physicians through the proper administration of vaccines and empowered individuals to protect themselves against preventable diseases. But changes to the schedule and the overhaul of the CDC’s Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices throw public and personal health into uncharted territory.

Guest: Walter Orenstein, MD, associate director of the Emory Vaccine Center.

Episode Date: February 3, 2026