Health Wanted

Many Americans have diets deficient in fresh produce, whole foods, and important nutrients, and it isn’t all due to personal choices. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow and guest Megan Winkler, PhD, discuss the cost, access, and availability of healthy food in the United States. In the Q&A, Bristow fields listener questions on COVID vaccine side effects, licking uncooked brownie batter, the TB outbreak in Kansas, COVID vaccine timing during pregnancy, slushies, all before taking a look at recent comments from the Secretary of the HHS. For a full rundown on all the information shared in today's episode, take a look at the Show Notes. Have a question for Laurel? Send it to healthwanted@wabe.org or leave a voicemail at 404-888-3630! For more, visit wabe.org/healthwantedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) is a uniformed governmental service that protects public health in the U.S. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow marks the 30th anniversary of National Public Health Week by highlighting the Corps’ vital role in protecting the nation's health. In the Q&A, Bristow answers questions on a range of topics: a followup to the Trans Day of Visibility show, going vegan, the combined Covid-flu vaccine, and probiotics before a look at iodine in the "Sick of the Week." For a full rundown on all the information shared in today's episode, take a look at the Show Notes. Have a question for Laurel? Send it to healthwanted@wabe.org or leave a voicemail at 404-888-3630! For more, visit wabe.org/healthwantedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how people communicate, learn, and interact. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow and guest Daniele Fallin, PhD, talk about ASD and what could be behind its rising prevalence across the world. Bristow then covers a range of topics in the Q&A: genetic testing and insurance, vaccines before cruises, and trusted resources for menopause information before addressing two recurring co-stars: bird flu and measles. For a full rundown on all the information shared in today's episode, take a look at the Show Notes. Have a question for Laurel? Send it to healthwanted@wabe.org or leave a voicemail at 404-888-3630! For more, visit wabe.org/healthwantedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Access to gender-affirming health care is a critical and evolving issue that encompasses both medical and societal challenges. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow and guest Chase Strangio, JD, discuss health care for transgender people and how current legislation makes it harder to access. For a full rundown on all the information shared in today's episode, take a look at the Show Notes. Have a question for Laurel? Send it to healthwanted@wabe.org or leave a voicemail at 404-888-3630! For more, visit wabe.org/healthwantedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In honor of World Tuberculosis Day, Health Wanted presents author John Green in conversation with host Laurel Bristow for his new book, “Everything is Tuberculosis.” Live from Glenn Memorial at Emory University on March 21, 2025, John and Laurel discuss the book, the persistence of tuberculosis, and what happens when people confuse him for his brother, Hank. Have a question for Laurel in a future episode? Send it to healthwanted@wabe.org or leave a voicemail at 404-888-3630! For more, visit wabe.org/healthwantedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, tuberculosis claims over one million lives worldwide. The United States has long been a key contributor to global efforts in preventing, treating, and researching the disease. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow and guest Kenneth Castro, MD, discuss the ongoing challenges of tuberculosis and the impact that recent cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development budget are having on global tuberculosis efforts. The Q&A addresses the question of transgender mice, the cause of death of Gene Hackman and his wife, and the current measles outbreak. Total Recall covers the recent recall of two FDA safety boards, and "What the Health" fills in for "Sick of the Week" to look at the most recent bird flu suggestion from the current US Secretary of Health and Human Services. For a full rundown on all the information shared in today's episode, take a look at the Show Notes. Have a question for Laurel? Send it to healthwanted@wabe.org or leave a voicemail at 404-888-3630! For more, visit wabe.org/healthwantedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Five years ago this week, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. This fast-tracked information sharing, vaccine development and deployment, and activated the global scientific community as they worked to understand the virus and minimize its spread. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow and guest Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, co-lead investigator of the Yale COVID-19 Recovery Study, look back at the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss what we’ve learned, where we are, and what lies ahead. Bristow then answers questions in the Q&A concerning ivermectin, parasites and allergies, clinical trials for children, Invisalign retainers and microplastics, and the impact of recent government policy on flu shot access in "Sick of the Week." For a full rundown on all the information shared in today's episode, take a look at the Show Notes. Have a question for Laurel? Send it to healthwanted@wabe.org or leave a voicemail at 404-888-3630! For more, visit wabe.org/healthwantedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The exposome is an expansive concept that encompasses everything in the environment a person is exposed to throughout their lifetime. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow and guest Doug Walker, PhD, discuss the study of the exposome, environmental exposures, and their impact on human health. In the Q&A, Bristow speaks on the safety of artificial turf, the measles outbreak, and a question about vaccines and neurodiversity sets the stage for Sick of the Week. For a full rundown on all the information shared in today's episode, take a look at the Show Notes. Have a question for Laurel? Send it to healthwanted@wabe.org or leave a voicemail at 404-888-3630! For more, visit wabe.org/healthwantedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rural communities face many significant health challenges due to inaccessible health care, economic instability, and occupational hazards. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow and guest Hannah Cooper, ScD, discuss rural health disparities and the impact of the opioid use epidemic on rural communities. In the Q&A, Bristow answers questions on bird flu, using "beige" fat cells to destroy tumor cells, a new study on COVID vaccines, and Sick of the Week breaks down RFK Jr.'s reference to Dr. Gregory Poland's work on vaccine schedules. For a full rundown on all the information shared in today's episode, take a look at the Show Notes. Have a question for Laurel? Send it to healthwanted@wabe.org or leave a voicemail at 404-888-3630! For more, visit wabe.org/healthwantedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of conditions that disproportionately impact low-income countries and receive insufficient attention and resources from around the world. This week on Health Wanted, host Laurel Bristow and guest Jessica Fairley, MD, explore some of the most common NTDs and how the U.S. benefits from contributing to their research and prevention. In the Q&A, Bristow addresses questions about the CDC's "Disease Detectives" and the EIS, current measles outbreaks, supplements, aluminum in deodorant, and creatine sets up the Sick of the Week. For a full rundown on all the information shared in today's episode, take a look at the Show Notes. Have a question for Laurel? Send it to healthwanted@wabe.org or leave a voicemail at 404-888-3630! For more, visit wabe.org/healthwantedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.