What Measles Outbreaks Tell Us About Public Health In America

Fresh Air - A podcast by NPR

"Measles thrives on being underestimated," Dr. Adam Ratner says. The highly infectious disease was thought to be a "solved problem," until a 2018 outbreak in New York City. "When we start to see measles, it's evidence of the faltering of our public health systems and of fomenting of distrust of vaccines." Ratner talks about the implications of RFK's Health and Human Services Dept. appointment, National Institute of Health budget cuts, and spreading distrust and skepticism in science. His new book is called Booster Shots.Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Geraldine Brooks' memoir Memorial Days, about grieving her husband, Tony Horwitz.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy