Public Health On Call

About this episode:  
In June, the FDA convened an advisory committee to discuss whether seven selected peptides should be permitted for legal sale under pharmacy compounding laws despite little research into safety and efficacy. Agency scientists oppose the decision while some committee members with ties to the growing industry support it. In this episode: Dr. Josh Sharfstein, who previously served as the Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA, explains what is happening and what it may mean for consumers and patients.
Guest: 
Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009. 
Host: 
Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 
Show links and related content: 
FDA committee votes to make peptides more widely available—Science

July 23-24, 2026: Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee—FDA

Why Are People Injecting Themselves with Peptides?—The New Yorker

Peptide boom has states scrambling to protect consumers, Post investigation finds—Washington Post

How to Spot Unregulated Pharmacies and Falsified Medications—Public Health On Call (August 2025)

Transcript information:
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:  
West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne illness in the U.S., and while most people who contract it won't even know they're infected, it can be debilitating for older adults and the immunocompromised. In this episode: an expert in insect-borne diseases gives listeners the essential information on West Nile, offers a forecast on this year's disease season, and answers the most important question: can we just get rid of mosquitoes?
Guest: 
Douglas Norris, PhD, is a professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology who studies vector-borne diseases.
Host: 
Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 
Show links and related content: 
CDC Encourages Americans to Stay Mosquito Bite-Free during America's 250th Independence Day holiday weekend—CDC

Early, intense West Nile season may signal a severe year for the mosquito-borne illness, CDC says—CNN

How to Prevent Dengue or "Break-Bone Fever"—Public Health On Call (May 2024)

Why Are Some Humans' Scents More Preferable to Mosquitoes?—Public Health On Call (June 2023)

Transcript information:
Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.
Contact us:
Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.
Follow us:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

@‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram

@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

Here's our RSS feed

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:  
Children in Tennessee who need ventilators, chemotherapy and other essential medical treatments—but who have no means to pay for them—turn to the Children's Special Services program. But as a result of a new state law, hundreds of children and their families were told to withdraw from the program or risk being reported to immigration officials. In this episode: Dr. Morgan McDonald explains what happened—and how a lawsuit is aiming to preserve lifesaving care. 
Guest: 
Dr. Morgan McDonald is a pediatrician, a public health physician, and a Nashville Metro Health board member. 
Host: 
Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009. 
Show links and related content: 
Tennessee to restrict medical aid for critically ill undocumented children—Washington Post

Snader v. Tennessee Department of Health—Tennessee Justice Center

A Doctor Uses Social Media to Advocate for Children in Immigration Detention—Public Health On Call (May 2026)

Transcript information:
Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.
Contact us:
Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.
Follow us:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

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@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:  
Cooling towers rife with Legionella bacteria are fueling an outbreak of a serious respiratory disease in New York City. Legionnaires' disease is common in the summer months as the water we use to shower and cool our air conditioning systems warms, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. In this episode: Environmental scientist Natalie Exum details the symptoms of Legionnaires' disease, who is most at risk of infection, and how cities can monitor and treat water systems to reduce exposure.
Guest: 
Natalie Exum, PhD, MS, is an assistant professor of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Host: 
Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 
Show links and related content: 
Fourth death confirmed in NYC Legionnaires' disease outbreak—NBC News

Legionnaires' Disease—NYC Health

Two-Year Evaluation of Legionella in an Aging Residential Building: Assessment of Multiple Potable Water Remediation Approaches—Science of the Total Environment

Transcript information:
Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.
Contact us:
Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.
Follow us:
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@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode:  
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are the most widely used class of antidepressants. While these medications have undoubtedly saved lives, they have also gained scrutiny for having significant side effects and being difficult to taper off of. In this episode: Two psychiatrists talk about the existing recommendations for deprescribing and why SSRIs remain a critical treatment tool despite pressure from federal health officials to wean Americans off of them.
Guest: 
Dr. Paul Nestadt is an associate professor of Mental Health who studies the epidemiology of suicide and serves as the primary supervising psychiatrist for the Johns Hopkins Hospital Anxiety Disorders Clinic.
Dr. Jimmy Potash, MPH, is the director of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and psychiatrist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Host: 
Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.
Show links and related content: 
Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants—The New York Times

Prescriptions for Antidepressants Increasing among Individuals with no Psychiatric Diagnosis—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate withdrawal symptoms—Lancet Psychiatry

Changes in antidepressant use by young people and suicidal behavior after FDA warnings and media coverage: quasi-experimental study—BMJ

Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder Among Older Adults in Primary Care—JAMA

Transcript information:
Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.
Contact us:
Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.
Follow us:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

@‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram

@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

Here's our RSS feed

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.