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Osterholm Update

Episode 204: Holding the Tools

Osterholm Update

CIDRAP

Science

4.8 • 3K Ratings

🗓️ 12 March 2026

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

<p dir="ltr">In "Holding the Tools" Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall dive into the latest COVID, flu and RSV activity, discuss the surge in norovirus cases, and provide an update on measles outbreaks across the Americas. Dr. Osterholm also shares the latest work from CIDRAP’s Vaccine Integrity Project, and honors a couple of different public health heroes for Women’s History Month.&nbsp;<br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/childhood-vaccines/viewpoint-threats-gavi-mean-placing-ideology-over-saving-lives"><strong>Viewpoint: Threats to Gavi mean placing ideology over saving lives</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;</strong>(CIDRAP)&nbsp;<br><br><a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/antimicrobial-stewardship/dentists-still-write-millions-prescriptions-year-antibiotic-life"><strong>Dentists still write millions of prescriptions a year for an antibiotic with life-threatening risks</strong></a><strong>&nbsp;</strong>(CIDRAP)<br>&nbsp;</p> <p>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> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Music:</strong></p> <p>"Beauty Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)<br>Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License</p>

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello and welcome to the Oström Update, a podcast about infectious diseases and public health,

0:13.8

featuring Dr. Michael Osterholm.

0:17.0

Dr. Ostrome is an internationally recognized medical detective and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, or Sidrap, at the University of Minnesota.

0:26.7

In this podcast, Dr. Ostrome draws an over 50 years of experience in infectious disease epidemiology to provide straight talk on the latest infectious disease outbreaks,

0:40.6

counter misinformation and disinformation about vaccines,

0:46.0

and distill the complex and ever-evolving public health threats facing our world.

0:49.5

I'm Chris Dahl, reporter for Sidrapp News,

1:00.6

and I'm your host for these conversations. Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of the Osterarm Update podcast.

1:05.3

If you're a longtime listener of the podcast, and I know many of you are, you've certainly

1:10.1

noticed a shift in the podcast over the last year or so. Obviously, much of the podcast, and I know many of you are, you've certainly noticed a shift in the podcast over

1:11.7

the last year or so. Obviously, much of the shift has been driven by the Trump administration's

1:16.6

systematic dismantling of federal public health agencies and by Health and Human Services Secretary

1:21.8

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s attempts to undermine vaccine policy. We've devoted a lot of time to these topics because they

1:28.6

are the driving force behind one of the most challenging moments for U.S. public health in decades.

1:34.6

Meanwhile, the virus that led us to create this podcast has taken something of a backseat.

1:39.7

We continue to update you on COVID trends, of course, and we'll do that for as long as this podcast goes on,

1:45.6

because we know that many of you want that information so you can keep yourself and your loved ones protected.

1:50.9

And we know this is especially important for people in high-risk groups.

1:54.2

But it's clear that, for many, COVID-19 is not the threat that it was when the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in early 2020,

2:01.2

or when the Omicron surge began in November 2021.

2:05.0

New variants don't scare us as much as they used to.

2:08.5

COVID has become a virus that we live with.

...

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