What the Cluck Is Going On with Bird Flu?

Unbiased Science

@unbiasedscipod

Education, Science, Health & Fitness

4.4 • 644 Ratings

🗓️ 17 December 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Jess and Sarah discuss the current state of bird flu, particularly H5N1, with expert Dr. Chad Costley. They explore the implications of recent CDC updates, the evolution of viruses, and the innovative development of intranasal vaccines. The conversation highlights the importance of addressing vaccine misinformation and the potential for a universal flu vaccine, emphasizing the need for continued public health efforts and the role of dedicated scientists in combating misinformation. Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-Vlb14O_BeA (00:00) Intro & Public Health Update (03:07) What Is A News Item That Caught Your Attention And Why? (04:20) What Is Bird Flu? (07:11) How Could Bird Flu Become A Worst Case Scenario? (10:02) Exiting Research On A Possible Bird Flu Vaccine (13:38) Technology Behind The New Vaccine Candidate (17:43) Importance of Adjuvants (20:48) Where Does The New H5 Vaccine Stand In Development? (24:21) The Idea Of A Universal Flu Vaccine (29:25) What Is Giving Hope In Public Health? https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64686-3 https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/11/06/3182263/0/en/BlueWillow-Biologics-Intranasal-Bird-Flu-Vaccine-Shows-Signs-of-Broad-Immune-Response-in-Phase-I-Clinical-Trial-Published-in-Nature-Communications.html https://www.linkedin.com/in/chad-costley-a631a8164/ https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/avian-influenza-bird-flu/preliminary-human-bird-flu-case-reported-washington-state ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interested in advertising with us? Please reach out to advertising@airwavemedia.com, with “Unbiased Science” in the subject line. PLEASE NOTE: The discussion and information provided in this podcast are for general educational, scientific, and informational purposes only and are not intended as, and should not be treated as, medical or other professional advice for any particular individual or individuals. Every person and medical issue is different, and diagnosis and treatment requires consideration of specific facts often unique to the individual. As such, the information contained in this podcast should not be used as a substitute for consultation with and/or treatment by a doctor or other medical professional. If you are experiencing any medical issue or have any medical concern, you should consult with a doctor or other medical professional. Further, due to the inherent limitations of a podcast such as this as well as ongoing scientific developments, we do not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information or analysis provided in this podcast, although, of course we always endeavor to provide comprehensive information and analysis. In no event may Unbiased Science or any of the participants in this podcast be held liable to the listener or anyone else for any decision allegedly made or action allegedly taken or not taken allegedly in reliance on the discussion or information in this podcast or for any damages allegedly resulting from such reliance. The information provided herein do not represent the views of our employers.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:20.4	Welcome to Unbiased Science, where we bring scientific method to the madness.
0:26.6	We're your host, Dr. Jess Steyer, and Dr. Sarah Scheidman.
0:31.1	And this week, we have a very special, brilliant guest who's joining us to talk about bird flu, avian flu. This is all over the news.
0:42.9	We're going to get into why this is top of mind right now. So before we get into introducing our
0:49.0	guest, just a very quick public health update. So we're recording this on November 20th. And if you're watching
0:57.3	this on YouTube, you'll see some bags under my eyes. And that's because I did not sleep last
1:04.4	night. Unfortunately, late last night, November 19th, the CDC updated its autism and vaccines page. And it's very clear that it is no longer
1:17.2	evidence-based. So this is a quote from the website. The claim vaccines do not cause autism is not
1:24.9	an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility
1:28.9	that infant vaccines cause autism. Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities.
1:37.3	So I'll cry. I'm talking about this. I mean, many of us kind of knew that this was coming, but seeing it in black and white is very difficult.
1:48.0	We have undone decades of incredible progress in public health. Of course, you know, we have spoken about this, published on this ad nauseum, that there is absolutely zero causal link. We have looked at this in major, major studies all around the world.
2:05.8	So this is a major blow to public health.
2:09.0	But the fight goes on.
2:11.2	And honestly, the topic for today is, it's very timely.
2:16.1	So I will get off my soapbox and I will turn it over to Sarah to
2:19.7	introduce our guest. Hey everyone. We are sitting with Dr. Chad Costley, MD, who became the
2:28.3	president and chief executive officer of Blue Willow Biologics in 2020 after serving on the board of directors for several
2:35.9	years. Dr. Costley has 20 years of clinical practice experience and has advised and served on the
2:42.5	board of directors of several technology companies. He earned his MD at the University of Michigan,
2:48.2	where he also completed medical residency training. He holds an MBA
	...

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