This Week in Virology TWiV 1300: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin
Feb 28, 2026
Daniel Griffin, infectious diseases clinician and researcher who provides regular clinical updates, tackles vaccine policy battles and outbreak responses. He covers the Pakistan vaccine-derived polio situation, rising measles and Candida auris surveillance, and current RSV, flu, and COVID trends. He also discusses pregnancy vaccination timing, travel health tips, and practical access to treatments like Paxlovid and baloxavir.
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Prioritize IPV Over OPV2 For Ending Transmission
- Use inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) as an essential part of eradication efforts rather than relying on OPV2 in areas with low type 2 immunity.
- IPV campaigns in Pakistan were followed by cessation of diagnosed cases after two or three doses, showing practical success.
Surgeon General Nominee Signals Anti‑Vaccine Messaging Risk
- The Surgeon General nominee avoided endorsing routine vaccination and showed limited infectious disease knowledge, raising concerns about the public-health pulpit.
- Vincent and Daniel highlighted past Surgeons General who used the role for evidence-based public health messaging versus this nominee's commercial wellness background.
Measles Resurgence Creates Hotspots And Missed Diagnoses
- Measles cases in the U.S. rose to roughly 980–1,000 with hotspots in Utah and parts of the Southwest and Florida.
- Clinicians unfamiliar with measles led to delayed recognition and large exposure events in ERs and clinics.
