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Vaccines, Cholesterol, and Other News

Health & Veritas

Release Date: 03/19/2026

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Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale School of Medicine liver specialist Wolfram Goessling, who reflects on his experience surviving a rare cancer and how it reshaped his approach to patient care, communication, and leadership. Harlan discusses a Utah pilot program that is letting AI authorize prescription renewals, prompting alarm from physicians; Howie reports on a study challenging the effectiveness of a widely used knee procedure. Show notes: The Prescribing AI Doctronic responds to coverage of the Utah partnership. Wolfram Goessling The publisher’s site for Wolfram Goessling’s...

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Howie and Harlan take on tough questions at the intersection of medicine and society. They trace the deadly history of anti-vaccine activism, unpack Yale’s report on trust in higher education, and explore the peptide craze. They also confront the rising moral distress among clinicians working in systems that too often prevent them from caring for patients the way they were trained to. Plus, student research assistant Tobias Liu stops by for a farewell conversation. Show notes: Tobias Segment Anti-Vaccination Trust in Higher Education Peptides Moral Distress Psychedelics 2026...

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Stephen Latham: The End of Irreversibility show art Stephen Latham: The End of Irreversibility

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Howie and Harlan are joined by Stephen Latham, a Yale School of Medicine senior research scholar and the director of the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics. Stephen reflects on his journey to a career at the intersection of law and medicine, and explains why the legal definition of death is becoming less useful in an era of rapidly advancing medical technologies. Harlan unpacks recent analysis of smoking rates in the U.S.; Howie contextualizes recent accusations of Medicaid fraud in New York.  Show notes: Smoking Rates     Stephen Latham      ...

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Deborah Proctor: Help That Endures show art Deborah Proctor: Help That Endures

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Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale School of Medicine gastroenterologist Deborah Proctor, who reflects on her decades of work in Honduras and how her approach to service has shifted from short-term medical missions to sustained, community-driven partnership. Harlan reports on an AI breakthrough with implications for the security of healthcare systems; Howie marks National Public Health Week with a look at two centuries of major public health gains. Show notes: AI Breakthrough   Deborah Proctor Public Health Progress In the Yale School of Management’s , you’ll...

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Selwyn Rogers: Bearing Witness to Violence show art Selwyn Rogers: Bearing Witness to Violence

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Howie and Harlan are joined by trauma surgeon Selwyn Rogers, who reflects on caring for victims of gun violence and speaking with families in their darkest moments—and explains why the problem must be understood as a shared societal responsibility. Harlan examines new evidence suggesting U.S. healthcare spending has grown more slowly than expected; Howie discusses a retracted Lancet article that highlights the risks of undisclosed conflicts of interest. Show notes: Healthcare Costs   Selwyn Rogers   Conflicts of Interest In the Yale School of Management’s ,...

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Arya Singh: Beyond Accessibility show art Arya Singh: Beyond Accessibility

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale College and Yale School of Public Health graduate Arya Singh, who reflects on growing up with spinal muscular atrophy, what it takes to build a full life with a disability, and how family support and institutional culture shape what inclusion looks like in practice. Harlan reports on the rapid rise of AI as a front door to health information; Howie responds to the withdrawal of a proposed federal ban on indoor tanning for minors. Show notes: AI Health Advice Arya Singh Howie reflects on Arya Singh’s graduation from Yale. A Stanford Business...

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Vaccines, Cholesterol, and Other News show art Vaccines, Cholesterol, and Other News

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan discuss the end of flu season, vaccine effectiveness, and the challenge of rebuilding public confidence in immunization. Also: new cholesterol guidelines that push earlier treatment, measles outbreaks and the erosion of herd immunity, a court ruling pausing changes to vaccine guidelines, signs of stabilization at the NIH, new evidence on football and brain injury, and a MedPAC report suggesting Medicare Advantage plans are overpaid. Show notes: Looking Back at the Flu Season     New Cholesterol Guidelines       Measles Update      ...

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Kevin Billingsley: The Making of the Modern Surgeon show art Kevin Billingsley: The Making of the Modern Surgeon

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale School of Medicine surgical oncologist Kevin Billingsley, who discusses how robotics and advanced imaging are reshaping what it means to be a surgeon and offers guidance for those facing a cancer diagnosis. Harlan reports on a company testing AI-based prescription renewals and raises concerns about safety and oversight; Howie reflects on new survey data showing declining public trust in health institutions. Show notes: Unsupervised AI Harlan discusses ARPA-H. Kevin Billingsley Atul Gawande compares surgeons to athletes. Jerome Groopman on the...

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Kevin Sheth: Innovation Toward a Healthier Brain show art Kevin Sheth: Innovation Toward a Healthier Brain

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale School of Medicine neurologist Kevin Sheth to discuss how collaboration helps drive breakthroughs in brain health, including advances in detecting stroke and other neurological diseases earlier and more precisely. Harlan reflects on lessons from his family’s recent experience navigating the healthcare system; Howie examines the expanding marketplace for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and the challenges of ensuring safe and appropriate use. Show notes: The Family Perspective Kevin Sheth       Cheaper Obesity Drugs       In...

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Janet Currie: Investing in Kids show art Janet Currie: Investing in Kids

Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale economist Janet Currie to discuss how early-life investments in health, education, and environmental protection shape children’s lifelong well-being and economic opportunity. Harlan highlights a new Medicare payment model that would reward measurable improvements in chronic disease outcomes; Howie reflects on the spread of medical misinformation and a new effort to push back. Show notes: The ACCESS Payment Model Janet Currie “ “  Misinformation In the Yale School of Management’s , you’ll get a full MBA education...

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More Episodes

Howie and Harlan discuss the end of flu season, vaccine effectiveness, and the challenge of rebuilding public confidence in immunization. Also: new cholesterol guidelines that push earlier treatment, measles outbreaks and the erosion of herd immunity, a court ruling pausing changes to vaccine guidelines, signs of stabilization at the NIH, new evidence on football and brain injury, and a MedPAC report suggesting Medicare Advantage plans are overpaid.

Show notes:

Looking Back at the Flu Season

CDC 2024–2025 Influenza Season Summary

CDC: Influenza-Associated Pediatric Deaths 

CDC Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report

CDC: Interim Estimates of 2025–26 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness 

New Cholesterol Guidelines

2026 ACC/AHA/AACVPR/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia

“ACC/American Heart Association Issue Updated Guideline for Managing Lipids, Cholesterol”

Lipoprotein (a): Levels & Testing

Apolipoprotein B (Apo B) Test 

“Major changes to cardiovascular guidelines suggest taking statins as young as 30” 

“Statins: How They Work & Side Effects”

American Heart Association PREVENT Online Calculator 

Measles Update

CDC: Measles Cases and Outbreaks 

U.S. Measles Tracker 

South Carolina Department of Public Health: 2025 Measles Outbreak 

Utah Department of Health and Human Services: Utah measles outbreak response 

CDC Measles Vaccine Recommendations 

What’s Happening at the NIH?

“NIH will spend its full budget this year, agency director promises House appropriators” 

“NIH chief calms nerves on grants, hiring” 

“WATCH: Dr. Jay Bhattacharya testifies at NIH oversight hearing before House panel” 

Harlan Krumholz: “Grant Applications With a Result-Based Orientation” 

New Mexico’s Measles Success

CDC: Measles Outbreak—New Mexico, 2025 

Football, Brain Health, and the Biology of Repetitive Hits

“Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Function in Former American Football Players” 

“Inflammation, Limbic White Matter Microstructure, and Clinical Symptoms in Retired American Football Players With Repetitive Head Impacts” 

ACIP Lawsuit

“Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)” 

“Judge blocks RFK Jr. advisers' vaccine changes” 

“Federal judge stalls health secretary RFK Jr.’s overhaul of vaccine policy” 

“Federal Judge Puts Brakes on RFK Jr's Vaccine Agenda” 

Medicare Advantage Under the Microscope

MedPAC: March 2026 Report to the Congress: Medicare Payment Policy 

“Congressional advisers call to rein in Medicare Advantage spending amid industry pressure”


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