Osterholm Update Episode 205: Disease Waits for No One
Mar 26, 2026
They unpack a court ruling that paused rollback of childhood vaccine guidance and debate whether public trust has already eroded. A controversial report on post-vaccine health problems is examined. They cover a meningitis outbreak in the UK, rising measles strains on pediatric care, and H5N1 in marine mammals. Also: current COVID, flu, and RSV trends plus a public health history segment honoring granny midwives.
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Policy Moves Have Rapidly Eroded Vaccine Confidence
- Actions by officials can substantially erode confidence in vaccine guidance and take decades to repair.
- Osterholm cites polls showing trust in childhood vaccine recommendations dropped from 71% to 60% and widespread uncertainty about sources of guidance.
Double Down On Independent Evidence Efforts
- Intensify independent, transparent efforts to preserve evidence-based vaccine recommendations while official guardrails are weakened.
- The Vaccine Integrity Project and medical societies should maintain methodologic rigor, transparency, and insulation from politics.
Don't Codify Syndromes Without Strong Evidence
- Proposed diagnostic categories require robust, well-validated evidence before formal adoption.
- Osterholm and contributors criticized the leaked report on post-acute COVID-19 vaccination syndrome for relying on flawed analyses and ignoring US safety data.