Season 5, Episode 29 (#143):
“Updating your immune system”
a conversation with Dr. Bill Hanage
Topics: bird flu, influenza, mRNA vaccines, measles in TX, music,
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
photo by Pexels
Dr. Bill Hanage is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Co-Director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. His research and teaching focus on the epidemiology of infectious disease and the evolution of infectious agents.
Jim begins by talking about the animated sci-fi tv show Pantheon, which he's enjoying. Then he introduces Bill who mentions a novel by a friend of his, Jon Evans, called Exadelic. Then he moves to talk about RFK Jr's plan to "let 'er rip" regarding the H5N1 virus, which, as Dr. Bill says "will not lower the price of eggs. We continue to discuss that particular virus as well as virology in general, and then decide on a future episode to discuss science fiction and other things less dystopian than the current situation.