logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2021
53m 16s

Agree to Disagree: Booster Shots

Open to Debate
About this episode

The boosters are rolling out. In places likes the U.S., Britain, and Israel, authorities are providing additional Covid-19 vaccines with the goal of bolstering immune systems and shoring up their economies. Though vaccines such as Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have proven highly effective against the virus, efficacy wanes after six months, rendering older adults and those with weakened immune systems more vulnerable. Yet a debate about fairness, when much of the planet is unvaccinated, is growing. 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jul 8
Think Twice: Reading the Constitution with Justice Stephen Breyer
As an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court for almost three decades, Stephen Breyer was no stranger to hearing arguments for different sides in major cases. In this episode, our moderator-in-chief, John Donvan, and Chief Content Officer, Lia Matthow, interview Justice Breyer an ... Show More
53m 15s
Jul 1
Are Sanctions An Effective Policy Tool?
Open to Debate, in partnership with the Human Rights Foundation and the Oslo Freedom Forum, is examining a strategy employed by many countries to respond to aggressive or authoritarian regimes. In recent years, these have been levied against countries such as Russia, Venezuela, a ... Show More
53m 15s
Jun 24
Is Trump's America a Reliable Ally?
Under President Trump, America’s role on the global stage is being redefined — but can other countries trust its allyship under his leadership? Critics argue his transactional approach and threats to abandon allies undermine trust and force nations to reconsider their security. S ... Show More
53m 15s
Recommended Episodes
May 2021
We Can and Must SHARE Vaccines with the Globe
As the good news about the decline of COVID infections in the US continues to reverberate, the threat of the pandemic still looms globally. “Nobody is safe until everybody is safe.” Sharing life-saving vaccines around the world as quickly as possible defies a simple solution. Thi ... Show More
22m 23s
May 13
Special Episode: Dr. Adam Ratner & Booster Shots
For the past few months, measles has been in regular rotation in the news cycle here in the US, with outbreaks occurring across the country in regions with low vaccine uptake. These outbreaks represent a worrying trend in the rejection of scientific and medical expertise, with lo ... Show More
52m 32s
Dec 2020
CDC Vaccine Chief: No Corners Cut
Dr. Nancy Messonnier leads the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work to safely vaccinate the country. Whether the question is who to vaccine first, how to restore trust, or how to administer two doses of a vaccine stored at -70 degrees to a nation of 328 million peopl ... Show More
23m 39s
Mar 2024
RSV Vaccination for Older Adults
Welcome to a special series by Respiratory Exchange Addressing the Impact of RSV and Vaccine Hesitancy.  In this series, we explore the efficacy of RSV vaccines and discuss preventive strategies aimed at reducing the occurrence of severe RSV respiratory illness in infants, childr ... Show More
26m 38s
Mar 2025
Vaxxed & Answered: The CDC’s Controversial Autism Study
Despite years of scientific consensus, the CDC announces a new plan to study childhood vaccines and autism. Clashes between Syria’s new leadership and Assad loyalists leave hundreds dead. And police announce a cause of death for Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa.  Learn mor ... Show More
28m 37s
Jul 4
Audio long read: How to speak to a vaccine sceptic — research reveals what works
Questions and doubts about vaccines are on the rise worldwide and public-health specialists worry that these trends could worsen. But while the shift in public attitudes towards immunizations can leave scientists, physicians and many others feeling disheartened, a surge of resear ... Show More
16m 13s
Sep 2021
#069 COVID Vaccine Myths, Questions, and Rumors with Rhonda Patrick and Roger Seheult
In this nearly 2.5-hour episode, Dr. Rhonda Patrick and Dr. Roger Seheult and Kyle Allred of MedCram make a thoughtful, merit-based, and truly comprehensive discussion of COVID-19 vaccination. In addition to being a co-founder of MedCram Medical Lectures, Dr. Roger Seheult is, as ... Show More
2h 30m
Jun 12
Information Inoculation: Defending Against Medical Myths: Why we need to fight misinformation about vaccines | from TED Health
Ethan Lindenberger never got vaccinated as a kid. So one day, he went on Reddit and asked a simple question: "Where do I go to get vaccinated?" The post went viral, landing Lindenberger in the middle of a heated debate about vaccination and, ultimately, in front of a US Senate co ... Show More
45m 3s
Apr 8
Ep 172 Childhood Vaccine Schedule 1: Let’s give it a shot
We’re already back with our first episode of season 8! This week and next, we’re exploring childhood vaccine schedules - what diseases they protect us from, how the schedule is arranged, and who decides on the vaccines to include and the timing of vaccinations. In this first epis ... Show More
1h 7m
Jun 8
Information Inoculation: Why we need to fight misinformation about vaccines | TED Health
Ethan Lindenberger never got vaccinated as a kid. So one day, he went on Reddit and asked a simple question: "Where do I go to get vaccinated?" The post went viral, landing Lindenberger in the middle of a heated debate about vaccination and, ultimately, in front of a US Senate co ... Show More
45m 39s