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Osterholm Update

Episode 197: Fork in the Road

Osterholm Update

CIDRAP

Science

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2025

⏱️ 65 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

<p>In "Fork in the Road" Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the changes to the CDC's vaccines and autism page and this week's meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Dr. Osterholm also covers the recent infant botulism outbreak and Chris answers an ID Query about possible C. difficile vaccines.</p> <p><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-vaccines/after-unprecedented-autism-vaccine-messaging-change-scientists-advocates-say-cdc"><strong>After unprecedented autism-vaccine messaging change, scientists, advocates say CDC no longer trustworthy</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-vaccines/new-review-finds-no-evidence-support-delaying-universal-hepatitis-b-birth-dose"><strong>New review finds no evidence to support delaying universal hepatitis B birth-dose vaccination</strong></a><br><br>Resources for vaccine and public health advocacy:</p> <p><a href="https://www.voicesforvaccines.org/get-involved/"><strong>Voices for Vaccines</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://familiesfightingflu.org/take-action/"><strong>Families Fighting Flu</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://vaccinateyourfamily.org/get-involved/"><strong>Vaccinate Your Family</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://shotatlife.org/take-action/"><strong>Shot@Life</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/MRC/Pages/index.aspx"><strong>Medical Reserve Corps</strong></a></p> <p>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/vaccine-integrity-project"><strong>Vaccine Integrity Project</strong></a></p> <p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/osterholm-update-covid-19"><strong>MORE EPISODES</strong></a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/support-cidrap"><strong>SUPPORT THIS PODCAST</strong></a></p>

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello and welcome to the Osterholm Update, a podcast on COVID-19 and other infectious diseases with Dr. Michael Osterholm.

0:15.4

Dr. Osterholm is an internationally recognized medical detective and director of the Center for Infectious

0:20.8

Disease Research and Policy, or CIDRAP, at the University of Minnesota.

0:25.1

In this podcast, Dr. O. Strom draws on nearly 50 years of experience investigating infectious

0:30.1

disease outbreaks to provide straight talk on the latest infectious disease and public health

0:35.4

threats.

0:36.3

I'm Chris Dahl, reporter for CidRArap News, and I'm your host for these conversations.

0:44.3

Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of the Ostrome Update podcast.

0:48.3

Over the last several months, this podcast has dedicated a fair amount of airtime to detailing the efforts by Health and Human

0:54.7

Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to undermine public confidence in vaccines.

1:00.2

We've been very clear from the very early days of Kennedy's tenure about where this all may be

1:05.4

headed and why these efforts are so dangerous. But we were still unprepared for what happened

1:10.6

on November 19th.

1:12.2

When the language on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website page on autism

1:16.2

and vaccines was altered. The page that once said, vaccines do not cause autism, in bold at the top,

1:24.3

now leads with, quote, the claim vaccines do not cause autism is not an evidence-based

1:29.7

claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.

1:35.6

It was a stunning move from Kennedy, who would later tell the New York Times that he told the

1:40.3

CDC to make the change, despite a promise during his confirmation process not to do so.

1:46.2

And it's a signal that he appears to feel emboldened in his efforts to undermine vaccines.

1:51.4

The change to the CDC website is among the many topics we'll be covering on this episode of the Osterholm

1:56.7

update. We'll also discuss the upcoming meeting of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization

...

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